Originally Posted by
mickey85
And what I'm saying to the OP is that sure, you can go faster. It's not meant to be a road bike though.
And it's not a road bike. I've got road bikes for when I want them, but with drop bars and skinny tires, they're just not as well-suited to riding in the city. But they are faster, no question.
Just like my "city bike" is faster than any of these European offerings.
Originally Posted by
mickey85
Sure you can add fenders, but you're either still going to go geek with a leg band, or have dirty pants
Oh, the horrors! I've foolishly sacrificed a chainguard for all those other things!
Originally Posted by
mickey85
Sure, you have 21 gears. Guess what, my commuter does as well (a Univega that I converted to friction thumbies and North Road bars). guess how many gears I use? On a daily basis, 2. If I'm lazy, 4. And, chances are, a Nexus 8 speed rear is about as much as you'd need.
I have a couple of bikes that I've designated as my "commuters," and guess what? They have 18 -21 speeds too. But I'm not comparing my bike to a "commuter." I'm comparing it to a European "city bike." And with 21 speeds, my "city bike" is able to ride up
any hill in this city, and yes, we do have hills. There's nothing that an 8 speed Nexus gives me that I don't already have on my "city bike"-- except less performance under load, maybe, and of course, ice-free operation and dry-braking in winter weather. But I do plan to get one, nonetheless-- for my winter bike build, which is an old Trek 830-- yep, another vintage mountain bike converted to city use.
Originally Posted by
mickey85
Your bike weighs 30 lbs without fenders or a chainguard. The Retrovelo (or Electra, etc) bikes don't weigh much more than that and are a better ride simply because they already have the things you need.
A better ride?
I've got a brand new set of fenders sitting on my desk, just waiting to be installed. They weigh approximately a pound and a half, and cost me all of $35. Added to my bike, they bring the weight up to about 32 pounds, Figure maybe another 4 pounds for racks front and rear-- that brings my bike up to 36 pounds, and a total of $305, compared to a total weight of who knows what for the Retrovelo, and a price of $2150.
That's a
very expensive chainguard they're selling.
But I guess it makes the Retrovelo a "better ride."
Originally Posted by
mickey85
Another thought would be to use an older mountain bike. IGH, fat tires, fenders, and you'd be set!
Now
where have I heard
that before?
