Originally Posted by PhattTyre
So here I sit Sunday morning; I got my coffee, checking email, bikeforums, and watching tv. There's nothing on, so I'm watching this
LandRider auto-shift bike infomercial that I've seen before. It's kind of funny to hear people that aren't all gung-ho bike talk bike and to see all the "real people" with really crooked helmets talking about how great it is. I know this bike isn't for me, but assuming the quality is better than department store, it seems like a good bike for most people. It uses small weights and centrifugal force to move the deraileur. In theory, you're always in the appropriate gear for your speed. Most of the new riders I deal with at work just don't get shifting, so they might be on to something. What are your thoughts, especially those who have ridden a LandRider or had to work on one?
I love that infomercial. Not that I'd ever want one, but it's genuinely entertaining... I love it when they show the three way comparison... landrider, random cruiser, random roadie... they get to this hill, the roadie is show fumbling with his down tube shifters, the three speed cruiser is having difficulties because there's not enough gears apparently, but the land rider just cruises right on up...
I especially like, how in the same sentence basically, they say what a hassle it is to switch gears, and that the land rider is fully automatic... with both a high-gear and low-gear setting (which, in our terms might be referred to as the big and small ring on the crank.) So, it's automatic... but the front der is still manual.