Originally Posted by
tatfiend
Aaron;
At least companies like Electra and Globe are trying to bring back reasonably practical IGH city bikes even if not the classic English Roadster. If you have the money Pashleys are available as posted about on this page too or a number of other still "Made in Europe" alternatives, some of which are remarkably close to the old English 3 speed bikes, including the weight!
The main difficulty with importing and selling true European made IGH bikes here is the current price, due to worldwide inflation and a weak dollar. The English or Dutch 3 speed bike that sold for less than $100 in the mid 1950's will now cost closer to $2000, which shocks people. They do not consider that the full size Chevy that cost $1300 in the same period will now cost $25,000 minimum. BTW $1300 is what my dad told me he paid for his Chevy Biscayne, new in 53.
At the low end bicycles have remained amazingly inexpensive due to a combination of mass production for world markets and the move of manufacturing to very cheap labor countries such as China. Of course at the lowest level many of them are more "Bike shaped objects" than true satisfactory bicycles. But then mass merchandisers have been selling minimalist bikes for close to 100 years in the USA.
I realize the economics of lower priced labor, I was being a bit of a smart-azz.
Electra at one point was billing itself as an "American Bike Company" when in reality all they are is a designer (if that). And their bikes aren't cheap for what you get.
It is my sincere hope that as more of the city type bikes show up on the roadways that the big box store companies will take notice and perhaps decide to sell something similar for a reasonable price. Unfortunately they appear to mostly go by price point alone, so my fear is anything they do sell will end up being a BSO that looks like a city bike.
People used to bash Huffy, Murray and some of the other bikes as absolute garbage. They were of lower quality than Schwinn (subjective) Raleigh and some others. However their basic bikes were of decent enough quality to have survived the 30+ years since the bike boom. I have recently had my hands on a couple of Huffy Baypoints that date from the late 1970's to the early 80's and they were still very serviceable. Were they as durable as say a Raleigh Sports or a Schwinn Collegiate? Probably not, but they cost half as much at the time, but they were still a bicycle and could be ridden for several years with no problems, unlike the BSO's that are out there today.
Aaron
