Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_14189" align="alignright" width="500" caption="UW-L senior Wyatt Hrudka, founder of Wyatt Bicycle Co., pictured with his 2013 model single-speed bike. Hrudka is in the process of developing a new multispeed bike, which will be sold next summer. He expects to graduate from UW-L in spring 2013."][/caption]

Student starts successful bicycle business while in school

Wyatt Hrudka discovered a market for single speed bikes while adjusting gears and greasing chains at UW-L’s outdoor equipment rental service. “I realized a common problem,” says the UW-La Crosse senior. “Students were riding on campus and shifting gears, but not shifting properly.” However, the nature of the riding they were doing— slowly down campus streets — didn’t call for complicated shifting. That gave Hrudka an idea. He designed his own single-speed bicycle geared toward college students. A shipment of 170 arrived in November 2011 and nearly all sold within the first year and a half. He was surprised to find orders were coming from not just college-aged buyers but a diverse group — the majority ages 30-60 — from all over the world. “It’s a trend right now to have single speed bikes,” he says. “Gas prices are rising and people want bikes that are simple, reliable and affordable.” His most recent order of 320 new bikes are selling fast with customers around the U.S. He’s getting inquiries from Sweden, England, Portugal, Australia and Canada. Hrudka has always wanted to start his own business, but his experience in UW-L business classes showed him the path. Transferring to UW-L was one of the best decisions he ever made, he says. He saw how he could incorporate an Information Systems background into business with tools such as website management and using computer programs to maximize efficiency. UW-L’s Small Business Development Center helped him develop a business plan, which has so far been successful. At the annual La Crosse Development Corporation Industry Appreciation event in July, Hrudka won the LADCO/Century-Link Entrepreneurial Initiative award. He says it has been fun to watch the company grow from working out of a 200-square-foot storage space to a 2,500-square-foot warehouse and office space today at the Coulee Region Business Center, 1100 Kane St., La Crosse. “My office is now the same size as the warehouse where I once stored all of my bikes,” he says. “From the moment I sold my first bike, I thought ‘I’m on to something.’ It’s been very exciting to watch it grow.” Today Hrudka has two employees who help him assemble the bikes. People can purchase bikes directly from the showroom at the warehouse, at several dealers in the state (including Bikes Limited in La Crosse), or order through his website at wyattbikes.com Wyatt Bicycles: Wyatt Bicycles are made of chromoly steel, making them durable and light weight. He offers single speed and fixed gear bikes in a variety of color combinations. His most recent model is $449. *UW-L alumni, students, faculty and staff, should mention their UW-L connection for a discount.