Villy Custom is a bike manufacturing company that builds custom-built bikes according to their customer’s choices and specifications. They build single-speed, 3-speed, and 7-speed cruiser bikes where every part of the body is added as per the customer’s preference – everything from the drivetrain, and the handlebar, to the handle grips and bicycle chain is customizable.
They also offer optional accessories like cupholders, baskets, and valve caps, which are also completely custom.
Fleetwood Hicks, a former fashion designer, created the Villy Custom brand after he fell in love with cruiser bicycles during a business vacation in LA.
He thought that he could combine his love for cruiser bikes with his experience in the fashion world to create a fashionable bike manufacturing brand. He wanted to add color, style, and individuality to cruiser bikes, which led to the creation of Villy Custom.
How Did The Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Fleetwood Hicks and Villy, his dog and brand name inspiration, appeared on Season 3, Episode 13 of Shark Tank. Hicks was aiming for a $500,000 investment and offering a 33% stake in return.
Hicks explained his product, a fashionable cruiser bike, and also provided details on his previous sales. He mentioned he had made over $250,000 in sales without spending a dime on advertisements. After his demonstration and presentation, all Sharks seem to like his product.
The first Shark to walk away was Daymond, stating he wasn’t interested in the bicycle business. Levin agrees and follows Daymond out. Robert is also interested in the product but believes the business valuation to be too high and is also out.
The remaining Sharks, Mark and Barbara, are both interested and decide to pair up. The pair offer Hicks a $500,000 investment but want a 45% stake in return. After a little back and forth, Hicks and the pair reach an agreement – a $500,000 investment in return for a 42% stake.
Our Review of Villy Custom
Since Villy Custom’s appearance on Shark Tank, the brand has continued to experience success and has grown a lot. The company produces bikes for men, women, and kids and has expanded to producing single-speed, 3-speed, and 7-speed bikes for their customers.
The customizability of the Villy Custom is their headlining feature. On their website, customers first choose what type of bike they would like – their men’s bikes have a standard frame, the women’s bikes have a step-through, daisy frame, and their 24″ small cruiser also features a slightly different, step-through frame.
The customers can then pick and choose custom colors for every part of their bike. Their tires and wheels are completely customizable. Their frame, seat, grips, chains, chain guards, and pedals are completely customizable. Anything and everything you can think of can be colored to customer preferences.
Villy Custom also has a ”Signature Branding” program. This program is for companies or different brands who’d like to order custom-built, branded cruisers with brand colors, logos, and various details. Villy Custom has built bikes for brands like Pepsi, Monster Energy, and celebrities like Steven Tyler.
They ship their bicycles to customers unassembled. They provide an assembly manual and have assembly videos available on their website to make assembly as simple, easy, and quick as possible. They also have a ”White Glove” assembly service, where they ship their bikes to authorized bike stores near their customers for professional assemblies.
One thing to keep in mind about Villy Custom cruiser bikes is that they are all about the look. If you are looking for performance, efficiency, and speed, like other custom-built/fitted bikes, you should look elsewhere.
Pros of Villy Custom
- Custom Options: Every part of Villy Custom bikes is customizable, allowing customers to fully display their personalities and styles through their custom cruiser bikes.
- Easy Assembly: The assembling process is easy to follow and takes under 30 mins to fully assemble your bike. If assembly is an issue, their White Glove service allows customers to pick up their fully assembled bikes from bike stores near them.
- Adjustable: both seat height and handlebar angles are adjustable to match riding style and heights.
- Warranty: All Villy Custom bicycles come with a one-year limited warranty. A lifetime warranty is also purchasable for just under $20.
- Fleet Rates: For companies and brands looking to order custom fleets, their ”Signature Branding”program allows for customizations and affordability! Ordering more than five bikes allows for discounts on prices and shipping!
Cons of Villy Custom
- Expensive: Villy Custom bicycles are expensive. These bikes are all about appearance and allowing customers to express their personality through their bikes. Villy Custom bikes aren’t made to be fast, efficient, or high-performance, which does make them incredibly expensive.
- Delivery Issues: A lot of customers complain about late and delayed deliveries. According to various online reviews, many customers complain of delivery delays being many months long.
Who is Villy Custom for?
Anyone looking for a stylish, fashionable, and good-looking bicycle will love Villy Custom bicycles. If you are looking for performance bikes, look elsewhere.
Are There Any Alternatives?
While we aren’t able to find any direct alternatives at this time, there are hundreds of ”performance” custom bike builders available online.
Our Final Thoughts
Combining style, fashion, and expression with bikes is what Villy Custom does! Their bikes are of high quality and are well-built. Their customizability is second to none, allowing you to customize every little thing, from the handlebars all the way to the valves of your bicycle tires.
While they are expensive, in terms of cruiser bikes, the wide range of choices they offer and their product quality make them very much worth the money.
Anyone looking for a bike that expresses their personality and style through will find Villy Custom bicycles completely worth the money. You’ll be sure to turn heads and have questions coming your way riding around in a Villy Custom bike built to your preferences and style choices!
And you never know, your custom design might get featured on Villy Custom’s Customer Design feature page!
