Business tries to meet exacting demands of officers
TARYN K. GERHARDT FOR THE OLYMPIAN (Washington State)
Law enforcement officers in the Pacific Northwest soon will have access to bikes that better suit their equipment needs, terrain and climate -- at least that’s the goal for bike makers James Holland and Eric Kackley. Holland and Kackley recently started Volcanic Manufacturing, a new bicycle design and manufacturing business in Olympia, Washington.
The two hatched the idea last year after their employer, Chehalis-based bike manufacturer Klein Bicycles, moved production to Waterloo, Wisc., a few years after Trek Bicycles purchased Klein.
With nowhere to use their specialized skills, Holland and Kackley started their own business, combining their knowledge of mountain biking in the Northwest with bicycle manufacturing.
They are striving to provide fleets to law enforcement bike patrols South of Seattle.
They market their bicycles with the name Peak Bicycles out of The Peak Adventure Sports Inc., a retail store on Olympia’s west side co-owned by Kackley. Eventually, the two hope to make custom bikes for other retailers.
Seattle bicycle police are test riding the Peak prototype bike, “The Enforcer.”
If the department likes the bikes, it will order them for four precincts, according to Seattle Police West Precinct Sgt. Jim Dyment. There are 40 officers in the West Precinct.
“We are seriously courting them and it looks like the superior product. Everything looks good on it and they can cater to our needs. It would be a more durable bike,” Dyment said.
Dyment said they currently ride Cannondale mountain bikes, but the police department makes it a priority to buy from area manufacturers. Cannondale is based in Connecticut.
The Seattle Police Department has a strong bicycle patrol program, with Seattle being the first police department in the nation to put officers on mountain bikes in 1986, Dyment said. His officers ride bikes every day of the year through all types of weather conditions, except snow. Dyment trains other officers on the techniques of bike patrol.
“Most of our crowd management duties are done on bicycles. A lot of departments (across the nation) are catching on and getting the training,” he said.
Kackley and Holland designed their bikes specifically for the police. For example, at the Seattle Police Department, the officers need bikes that are light enough to be efficient in hill climbing, yet strong enough to handle the height, weight and power of the officers. The bikes must be durable and handle well in all weather conditions.
The result is a 28-pound aluminum bike with Shimano Truvativ components and heavy-duty wheels and cranks.
“They (the officers) are tactical. They roll the bikes down while they are tackling people. They don’t want a flimsy bike. The bikes are rigid due to the design,” Kackley said.
He added that their design uses a larger bottom bracket, which means the bike will have less side-to-side flex when a larger rider is using it. The bike also has an extra water bottle cage on the downtube to accommodate a large pepper spray can.
“We are very particular about the precision on our bicycles. We want everything to have very tight tolerances within a millimeter of perfect,” Holland said about the welds.
John Suessman, Lacey Police Department Patrol Commander, said his department has an extensive bike patrol program and has a need for durable bikes. His officers ride a variety of brands including Trek and Cannondale.
“We’d like to keep our money in Olympia and Thurston County. If there was a comparable piece of equipment locally, we would probably take a look at it,” Suessman said.
Lacey officers are different than most departments because officers use both cars and bikes. They mount the bike on the car, secure the bike and respond to priority calls.
“They are quiet and maneuverable and are better for public contact. The bikes are good for preventing burglary and car prowls,” Suessman said.