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Old 07-22-16, 10:25 AM
  #5  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,506

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

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The light are integrated into the frame. That's convenient if they work well. What do you do when they fail? What if they're not good enough and you want to replace them? All of the internal electronics (music, GPS, heart rate monitor, horn, anti-theft, etc) will be obsolete long before the bike is too old to ride. Generally, a good bike can last decades or a lifetime. Electronics like those are good for two or three years; either they stop working well or the new stuff is compelling enough to replace the old stuff.

Belt drives have some advantages, but what options are there for changing the rear cog or chainwheel for changing your gearing?

$3,500 is a lot to spend on a commuter bike. You can't afford for it to be stolen, so you can't lock it up outside. And most bike commuters want upright handlebars, not drop handlebars.

What do you mean sustainable? I can't even imagine.

What do you mean maintenance free? I've never seen a maintenance free bike. Bikes require more repairs per mile than cars because they have to be light enough to ride. If they were as reliable as cars, they would be too heavy to ride.

Doesn't the front skewer lever on the drive side look dorky or ignorant?

The integrated bike is an attractive idea but is fraught with problems. A bike has to be light, and different people's needs vary. How can you make a bike with all the accessories everyone wants and none of the accessories people don't want? It is necessary for each of us to accessorize our bikes differently.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

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