I-Like-To-Bike

Let us know when you see one on a showroom floor or an LBS saleseman makes any effort to sell one without having his arm twisted by the customer.

mikeyp.1

I've been riding a Bianchi Milano with nexus 8.I like it but don't like the drum rear brake because it adds complication to a tire change.I was thinking of changing it to 700c wheels-I have a track bike that I put the nexus premium 8 on so I was thinking of using those wheels,but then I found that Bianchi makes a single speed version called the rollo and it lists for only 269.So now I'm thinking of getting a rollo and putting 700c wheels with the premium 8 and the shifter from the track bike and it will have all new stuff like chain,crank ect. and it has a caliper brake so I don't have to figure that out-so it will a couple of pounds lighter than the milano,will roll better with 700c wheels,will be easier to change tires,will have the premium 8 with less drag than the regular one,and comes with a goofy bulb horn-and I will end up with a spare wheel & tire set for the milano-sounds like win/win no?

dbg

+1
Older non-suspension MTB. Internal geared rear hub. Dynamo front hub.

j_mavros

+1. I'm biking regularly for the first time since my early teens. Got a deal on a Villager two weeks ago, and have ridden it to work (18 mi R/T) every day since. Been as far a 25 miles in a single ride. No complaints. Ready to go out of the box. Not the fastest bike on the path (obviously), but I pass more people than pass me. Were I going to stay in Chicago, I might swap out the 38/16 chainwheel/sprocket for something a little longer (I never use 1st gear, and occasionally spin out in 7th). But I'm moving to Pittsburgh, where there are actually a few hills. So I'll hold off on that decision.

Anyway, the Breezer Town bikes are a good choice for everyday, around town riding.

donnamb 

There is supposed to be a new LBS here in Portland opening up in the next couple of weeks that plans to cater to commuters of a more utilitarian/urban bent. I plan to check it out to see of they have any internal hub gear bikes on the floor. For all of the bike shops around here, there are precious few that carry anything beyond the 3-speed Electra Townie. (not that there's anything wrong with the Townie...)

vik 

We have two Kronan's as office bikes and although they are cool they are heavy and slow. I ended up bringing my urban assault bike (streetified mtn bike) to the office to ride around town for errands. Its faster, cheaper and a way better ride.

gbcb

I'm almost positive that I've seen a Bad Boy Lefty at Duke's in Toronto. And I know I've seen Kronans around Toronto, too -- I think the Bike Joint had one for a while, but was eventually sold. Not sure about Curbside. The OP should try to hitch a ride with all the snowbirds heading back to Canada at the end of the winter.

Allen

Availability: Kronan bicycles are not currently available for sale in Canada and the United States.

Sorry, they are beautiful bikes though.

--A

TheDL

+1 again for makin' your own. I ride 18 miles one way and climb over 500 feet along my route. I got it down to only 8 gears...started w/ 24. To ride everyday you got to keep things as simple as possible.

I-Like-To-Bike

Please keep us informed about this new LBS. I'd be pleasantly surprised if real deal European Commuter bikes, or Asian clones, actually appear on the showroom floor in American LBS' or the sales/marketing people make any effort to sell them. Even more surprised if they were without high tech materials, suspensions or weight wienie gizmos; and even more and more surprised if they weren't priced about 3 to 4 times what the same type bike (without glitzy gizmoes) costs at a European bike store.

I'll be even supremely pleasantly surprised if these commuter bikes are offered with Women's (step through) Frames as are seen everywhere in Europe.

dynaryder

Checked the site. Both the MTB and street Leftys are 22/32/44 front,11-34 rear. The street model just has 700cc wheels.

And I want one.

rigel

Hi all. This is a great thread

I'm just wondering what everyone thinks of the weights of these Euro commuter bikes. I mean take a couple of examples... the Koga-Miyata SilverAce (LiteAce in the US) weighs 19.9kg/43.8lbs while the Gazelle 7spd Impala is at 23.5kg/51.7lbs! That's heavier than most modern full-suspension DH/FR mountainbikes! And to think I thought the Breezer Uptown 8 was heavy at 33.5lbs!

Where does all that weight come from? All the accessories? I mean, it's possible to build a bomb-proof full-on freeride hucker for under 40lbs but these commuters are awfully heavy.

I would think the weight would make it quite a challenge to weave in and out of traffic, and jump on and off curbs (w/c you should only do if the sidewalks are clear), etc. Unless you're the type who likes your commute slow and very casual

I guess this supports the argument for either building your own or buying a bare bones "commuter style" bike (like the Bad Boy -- which I think caters to bike messengers) and then adding on the accessories as you see fit (this gives you the option of picking lighter weight accessories).

Anyone familiar or have the Ridgeback Neutron? Looks like a good starting point for a commuter; just add fenders and rack (light already included!). Oops, something's wrong with the link. Just click "Rapide" on the right-hand menu and then "Neutron."

I'm lusting for that Mongoose Sabrosa Ocho... mighty fine

jordanb

^-- Whatever. I ride 40-50 pound electroforged schwinns and no, the extra weight doesn't matter very much.

The Gazelle is probably so heavy because it is very well made, like the Schwinns. Heavy steel tubing. Plus all of the accessories. The Breezer is made out of aluminum on account of the weight weenie factor in this country. People see a bike and if it's light weight they think it's nice and if it's heavy they think it's crap. It's really a pretty unsophisticated view of things.

mikeyp.1

I don't think I'm a weight weeny, but I do think there's a limit on how much a bike should weigh.My 42 Schwinn replica must go 65 lbs-and I think I'm going to give it to my (adult) kids.It is pretty hard to ride it on my shortest ride-22 flat miles beside the ocean.My Bianchi Milano is around 30 and seems plenty fast since I put higher pressure tires on-but if I build a ME version, it will be a couple of lbs lighter-my track bike w/nexus was close to 23 but is creeping up a little as I put first 25s and now 28s on it to try to slow the cat quick handling-this seems close to a sweet spot to me.My hardtale mountain bike is supossed to be sub 21 lbs-I haven't weighed it-but if those bikes are that light, it seems like it would be easy to build a 27 lb touring bike even w/nexus even out of steel.Commuting is common in Europe,but I don'think people are going 15 miles one way or anything. Seems like things arn't so spread out there-maybe thats why they don't mind 50 lb bikes.

Lurch

Fuji makes model called the Kyoto which fits a lot of the commuter criteria being mentioned. See it at https://fujibikes.com/2006/bikes.asp?id=224 if this link works. I notice several other makes with a similar model. Makes me wonder if most are just rebadging someone else's machine. It is equipped with fenders, chain guard, lights, suspension and an 8-speed Nexus hub.

Lot's Knife

I thought the Bike Gallery in Portland had lots of commuter bikes.

Anyway, after smoking one of those funny Dutch cigarettes, I spent a couple hours gazing at the bike traffic up and down the Singel, and I was thunderstruck at the beautiful simplicity, the human scale, the pure joyfulness of the Dutch commuter.

Two weeks later, back in the U.S., I bought a Breezer Citizen. Sure, I'd like a Batavus 3-speed, but the Breezer — "cheap" aluminum frame and all — has transformed my life.

I-Like-To-Bike

Exactly!

I-Like-To-Bike

And what makes you think commuting "15 miles one way" is common anywhere? Yes, some BF posters, including myself, do commute long distances, but we are an extremely small slice of the bicycling population. Don't fool yourself, the population who will ever consider bicycling a practical alternative for long distance commutes is IMO never going to expand beyond a relatively few bicycling enthusiasts, especially in areas that do not enjoy pleasant weather year round. No matter what type of bicycles are offered.

brunop

get a fixie and commute on that! free your mind!!!!

mikeyp.1

I like to bike-I dont think commuting long distances is common anywhere.Whatimeanttosay is that places where commuting is common-say Holland-distaces are short and terrain is level-perhaps this is why heavy bikes are acceptable.

Artkansas 

Buy it on a European eBay and have it shipped. Or check Craigslist. Lots of cheap urban commuters in Amsterdam.

I-Like-To-Bike

Flat terrain does make a big difference in effort required, regardless of weight of the bike..

It is highly debatable if a few pounds more or less on a bicycle-commuter combination of approx. 200 lbs is going to make much difference over the distance that most bicyclists are willing to to commute.

I don't know that the average distance bike commuted in the US is any shorter or longer than The Netherlands and other Northern European countries. Do you?

Note: I do not restrict my definition of bike commuters to those who are members of bike clubs or are bicycling enthusiasts wrapped up in speed, efficiency and equipment(the typical BF commuting poster). I would also include all youth, college students getting around campus, and those often scorned poor labor pool commuters, DUI's, immigrants, and/or disabled cyclists getting around on whatever bike works for them.

PaulH

Weight is a relative thing. Many cyclists remember the Schwinn Collegiate as the first widely available road bike in the US. It looks very light - almost delicate - with its small diameter tubing -- but the weight is over 40 pounds! That's for a bare bike with a derailleur and rim brakes - no fenders, generator, lights, chainguard, or equipment of any type. Forty years ago, it was a sporting bike. Compared to the "newsboy" bikes which were the typical rides of the time, it was light.

Topography matters a lot. During the summer, there is always an Adams Trail-A-Bike attached to my Kettler european commuter bike. With a drop-of at day camp, the daily round trip is anywhere from 11 to 15 miles. My bike weighs something over 30 pounds; the Adams adds about 20 pounds. Therefore, when my daughter is not aboard, the combination weighs over 50 pounds -- in the Dutch bike range. I really notice the extra load when climbing. However, the total weight goes up from about 220 pounds to 270 pounds -- only about 9% -- and it does not stop me from completing the trip. In fact, if I ride up a hill at 9 mph instead of 10 mph, the effort remains the same. On the flats, I don't notice the extra weight at all. In fact, when my 50 pound daughter is on the bike and not pedaling, the extra power needed to drive a 100 pound bike-trailer-child combination is unnoticable. I conclude that the Dutch could ride 100 pound bikes on centuries if they were so inclined.

Commuter bike weigh more than "play" bikes (not a perjorative -- there's a hybrid and a road bike in my garage) because they incorporate things that add to the practicality of using them for convenient transportation -- lights, protection for clothing, robust mechanicals that don't require frequent tinkering, tires that can go fo years without a flat. In fact, many people who use lightweight bikes for commuting report total riding weights of over 30 pounds because of the tools and spares needed. That's what my Kettler weighs, and I don't carry anything.

The next question is why German commuter bikes, which have the same equipment, conveniences, and durability as Dutch ones, are 15-20 pounds lighter. I suspect it is because Germans have hills and are willing to pay more for a bike.


Paul

rigel

My thoughts exactly! I'm not a weight weenie either, just wondering why the euro commuters are that heavy. Like I said before, I guess the Uptown 8 is a good compromise at 33.5lbs. I just wish it were steel and had 700c wheels!

I-Like-To-Bike

Don't forget that there is often an inverse relationship between the weight of the bike and the weight of the locking mechanisms carried by the cyclist. Or the alternative, that the lighter the weight, the less versatile the bike is for commuting and utility because the lightweight bike is a locking ball and chain to the nervous owner who never will get off the bike anyplace where he can't personally eyeball and protect his precious lightweight machine.