The ethos behind Solé bicycles is: simple, sustainable, stylish, and of course, affordable. The brand was founded by schoolmates Jonathan Shriftman and Jake Medwell while they were still at USC. Enamored of the simplicity and coolness of fixed-gear cycles, but turned off by their often exorbitant prices, the duo set about contacting manufacturers, with the idea of making a bike that was more reasonably priced but maintained all of the cool of their favorite models. The result was Solé, which sold out of its first 200 unit run by word of mouth only — before its Web site was even operational. The cycles come in vivid colorways for maximum visual appeal, but as the founders put it, “Our bikes are about recognizing the essentials and usability.”