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Meet Henry Francisco

Montecci When Cycling Becomes Art

New York City, Fall, 2014; Henry Francisco is a New York based competitive road cyclist whose passion for the sport goes beyond just riding his bike. Francisco is the founder of Montecci Bikes. Not only does he enjoy racing but, he also creates bikes designed for different personalities and purposes. 

Inspiration comes from any direction when you least expect it, and when Francisco sees someone on a Montecci bike, it is priceless! In fact, Francisco finds most of his inspiration here in New York City.  For instance, when choosing bikes colors, he would refer to the city for ideas. 

It is safe to say that Francisco is a cycling enthusiast.    “When I cross the George Washington Bridge, on my road bike to train, it-is-me, the-bike and the-pavement,”    says Francisco. Also, he personally enjoys testing the bikes his company designs and builds. As a result, this passion is carried throughout every detail of his bikes production. 


Francisco was born in Villa Juana, a progressive neighborhood in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He grew up here watching cycling races, marathons, and parades. Although, at the time he did not have many resources, he still had an amazing childhood thanks to a group of adventurous friends who contributed lots of happiness. 

The education that made him the man he is today, mostly came from his mother, who encouraged him to focus and work hard to achieve his goals. At an early age, he learned the important lesson that one can be rich without much money, and that one can be happy without lots of possessions. This valuable knowledge, taught by his lovely mother, Francisco shares and is also the fuel that is currently nourishing his company. 


Montecci's Single/Fixed Gear Bike

A turning point in Francisco’s life happened in 2007, when he lived in Italy. Finding himself unemployed, he turned to his passion, cycling. He enjoyed riding his bike to a small town in Tuscany, Montecchio. The wonderful experiences Francisco had cycling in this town, sparked the idea to commence a company and commemorate the town by naming it Montecci Bikes

In 2008, after returning to New York City from living in Italy for over a year, Francisco felt the need to create an affordable bicycle. This was a challenge, but before the company was even started, a brave customer ordered the first bike. This strong belief by his first customer was the catalyst to the company’s initiation.  

As of now, Montecci is going through a growth spurt. They are acquiring more clients, making more sales calls, creating higher expectations, and providing exceptional customer service. Their bikes can now be found in many of New York City’s well known cycling shops. Francisco wants his customers to distinguish Montecci as a traditional and loyal brand.

Francisco is currently working on making Montecci available to customers in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and the West Coast. He is working on producing the next generation of Montecci's mountain bikes, as well as the fifth generation of the Montecci Carbo-V model. Moreover, Francisco has trade shows planned for Montecci appearances in 2015, where he will introduce his growing brand to the cycling industry. 

Francisco’s future goal is to have a professional team using Montecci bikes. In addition, he plans to have full distribution in all fifty states, as well as establishing the brand worldwide. As Francisco says, “If we made it in NYC, we can be successful anywhere.” 


Credit: 
Lighting advisor: Clifford HausnerProfoto
Photography Advisor: Paul Aresu
Photography Assistant: Manuel Brito 

 

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by Randhy Rodriguez