Commuting - New commuter bikes

Let me start with the disclaimer that I have no business interest in the company at all.

I picked this link off another forum and think these are some of the more interesting new bikes I've seen.

http://www.vandesselsports.com/contentbike.html

I've seen any number of threads about efficient commuter bikes. If you want to go new these may be an answer.

I just saw the link so these bikes may be old news to some of you guys. If anyone has any actual experience with any; what do you think of it?

:beer:

Of course the smallest frame is at least 7 cm too big for me :irritated.

I like the concept. One criticism, just from looking at the pix. Their moustache h-bars look pretty cheesy to me. I've got a set made by Nitto on my commuter. They look much sturdier, and also more graceful. They have bends and slopes, how can I describe this, in the vertical plane as well as the horizontal.

These European bikes are a bit too expensive to be used for commuter bikes unless you can bring them inside the office. I think the least expensive one was almost a grand.

Oh and where are the fenders, rack and lights? HUMMMMMMM
Looks like your going to have to buy them too.

If you want to look at a good European commuter bike why not but these. They are a about the same price. If you can find them.


http://www.r-m.de/english/1_katalog/frame.html

Good point about the fenders. I also question the coaster brakes on some models as that's taking simplicity too far. I didn't see a price list but if they're $1000+ then I agree that's not the right price for the market they're aiming at.

I like the one with the flip-flop hub but there're options for well under 1K$

:beer:

http://www.madwagon.com/ also has some nice commuter / school bikes for a very reasonable cost. Im looking to purchase the cruiser (http://www.madwagon.com/cruiser.asp) one of these days!

I just don't see cruisers as efficient , high performance utility bikes.
What are all those spare tubes doing, and why bend a perfectly straight piece of tubing to make a bent triangle ?

For £700, UK builders Thorn make a 26"mtb wheel agile commuter bike with micro-style lightweight steel frame and horizontal dropouts. It comes with drop or straight bars, hub or derailleur gears and dynamo attatchement mounts. Price includes rack and fenders as well. It is just about the perfect all purpose bike, on road or trail, with or without luggage.

Their more expensive models are here, but the concept is the same.
http://www.sjscycles.com/26solobrochure/solobrochureweb.htm

I havent seen a good practical lightweight utility bike in any UK shop. The kind of rider who choses a utility bike is the one who could really use a ligtweight bike with efficient gears. How many times have you seen a small women riding a huge wheeled heavyweight hybrid, as a large guy sails past in a tight framed, small wheeled MTB.

I too don't see cruisers as the most efficient thing out there. Of course there are reasons besides efficiency alone to buy a bike.

What caught my eye about the bikes at the top of the thread is the fact that they have 700C wheels and with aluminum frames should be pretty lightweight.

The Shimano Nexus 7speed internal hub in a 700C wheel is something I've thought about off and on for awhile. I do think these Van Dessel's fall short though by making it a coaster brake.

:beer:

single speed!? Unless you live in Holland or somewhere similarly flat that seems rather pointless for a commuter bike. I have hills on my commute folks!

If I wouldn't have to fear for theft, I would get a new girl's bike from Batavus in the Netherlands.
The bike I'm interested in is a girl's bike with 590mm rims and is also a single-speed with coaster brakes plus hand brakes..

http://www.batavus.nl/nl/default.html

Go to showroom and click on kids and Andorra to see the bike I'm interested in.. costs €379/$340 .

Another designer of comfort bikes is Gazelle..

http://www.gazelle.nl/HTML/Home/Home.htm

here my bike of choice would be the Swift single-speed.

http://www.gazelle.nl/cgi-bin/bikes/frames.asp?segment=jeugd&model=&keuze=Sharkwhale26&x=43&y=28

Ivana

Originally posted by PapeteeBooh
single speed!? Unless you live in Holland or somewhere similarly flat that seems rather pointless for a commuter bike. I have hills on my commute folks!

I have hills, and I also like to be able to start or to accelerate quickly to merge into traffic, as needed. I have found no suitable substitute for close-ratio (6 percent development), medium-range (e.g. 40-100 gear-inches) derailleur gears.

Originally posted by John E


I have hills, and I also like to be able to start or to accelerate quickly to merge into traffic, as needed. I have found no suitable substitute for close-ratio (6 percent development), medium-range (e.g. 40-100 gear-inches) derailleur gears.

Even with gears, it's still easier to jump-start at a traffic light by standing up rather than shift down and shift up again.. merging is a bit different, but for short distances, I don't really miss not having a multiple-speed bicycle.

Ivana, who cycled for 20 yers with a single-speed bike only...

Originally posted by fietser_ivana


Even with gears, it's still easier to jump-start at a traffic light by standing up rather than shift down and shift up again.. merging is a bit different, but for short distances, I don't really miss not having a multiple-speed bicycle.

Ivana, who cycled for 20 yers with a single-speed bike only...

I give you the fastness in acceleration. Perhaps it depends the short distances we are talking about. I know that speeds is what made bike commuting feasible and enjoyable to me.

Originally posted by PapeteeBooh


I give you the fastness in acceleration. Perhaps it depends the short distances we are talking about. I know that speeds is what made bike commuting feasible and enjoyable to me.

It also depends on terrain and how athletic you want to be. A singlespeed is pretty useless when you have steep hills. Every day I meet a guy on an old 3speed, who has to push his bike up a long steep hill. I just slip into my 28/28 gear and spin up, without breaking into a sweat.

Often it is non-sporting riders like the little old ladies who could benefit more from lightweight materials and lots of gears, but they are the ones riding heavy 3 speeds or shopper bikes. My mother had a single speed girls bike, but never had the strength to accelerate out of danger, and never felt safe on the bike.