Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
They'll all work. It's just that, unless you are totally strapped for cash or buying something non-standard (say, a 21 tooth cog), why not buy a good quality thing once? We're talking about $15 dollars separating top-of-the-line from bottom of the barrel.
There is nothing special about anything AllCity sells. It's like Surley or Soma or Pake, they all "design" their bikes and parts by picking stuff out of a catalogue from a Taiwanese or Chinese supplier. Not that it's not solid stuff or even good. Just don't go thinking that it has any performance benefits over any other catalogue brand.
You can either take my word for it or not, but I assure you that neither All City nor Surly is a "catalogue brand." Both employ R&D departments that design and spec. all their parts (one of All City's engineers rides track at the Blaine velodrome as well, for whatever that's worth).