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04-21-07, 03:52 PM
I just thought I'd post a few notes about the 2007 bowery as I have now given it a few good commutes and short rides. Note, that the only thing I have changed from stick components is the pedals. I added shimano clipless pedals with platforms and have ridden both with cleats and without.
I bought the Canadian edition (for full disclosure, not sure if there is any difference). I live in Halifax, NS, and while it isn't as hilly as San Francisco it does have its share of long-steep hills and the roads are terrible, large cracks and pot-holes everywhere. The bike soaks it up amazingly well. I was a little worried about the rim at first as I am a heavy (>200lbs) person, but as yet there is no problem.
The bike rides fairly smooth, a little stiff, but better than other bikes I have test ridden. It rides along flat stretches very quickly and is very nimble in traffic and avoiding the prementioned road hazards. The climbing is also great! It climbs at least as good as my single speed mountain bike ('94 kona fire mountain with 2" knobbies) if not better. It seems as if the common complaint about the bowery is its weight, but for me, the bike (at 22lbs) is plenty light and the heavy components add to the durability of the bike itself which is good for a commuter.
So, to wrap this up, I love this bike so far, and will follow up this review at the end of the summer. The long of the short of it is:
9/10
I bought the Canadian edition (for full disclosure, not sure if there is any difference). I live in Halifax, NS, and while it isn't as hilly as San Francisco it does have its share of long-steep hills and the roads are terrible, large cracks and pot-holes everywhere. The bike soaks it up amazingly well. I was a little worried about the rim at first as I am a heavy (>200lbs) person, but as yet there is no problem.
The bike rides fairly smooth, a little stiff, but better than other bikes I have test ridden. It rides along flat stretches very quickly and is very nimble in traffic and avoiding the prementioned road hazards. The climbing is also great! It climbs at least as good as my single speed mountain bike ('94 kona fire mountain with 2" knobbies) if not better. It seems as if the common complaint about the bowery is its weight, but for me, the bike (at 22lbs) is plenty light and the heavy components add to the durability of the bike itself which is good for a commuter.
So, to wrap this up, I love this bike so far, and will follow up this review at the end of the summer. The long of the short of it is:
9/10