Bravo!

I'm another person that commutes on a vintage Raleigh 3-speed. I choose it over my other (Faster! Lighter! Sleeker!) bikes for its utility, comfort, and I find it affords me a more relaxed and enjoyable commute, to the extent that's possible in midtown Manhattan. It's true that when I get on my racing bike I feel like I can fly. That makes it all the more fun!

As Duke Ellington once said of music, "If it sounds good, it is good." The same goes for bikes -- if you like to ride it and it performs the required mission, it's good. As for the bike shop guy -- you typically don't ask the grocer for nutrition advice, so why ask the bike shop guy what you should ride.

I've been commuting year-round in the DC area on a 7 speed internal hub bike with a drop frame. That was 25 miles roundtrip before I moved my office closer to home. Many days, I towed a trailer and took my daughter to school or daycare on the way. Road bikes are fun for weekends, but on weekdays, I need a drop frame, fenders, chainguard, and dynamo lights for convenient, practical transportation. As they say, "Horses for courses."

I think the Linus' are great. A friend of mine has been coming on a Public mixte for years (the NorCal Linus). He doesn't drive so that is his vehicle.

You should reach out to your local bike coalition and do an urban cycling class. I found it really helpful. Once in awhile an annoying driver will try to tell you to hug the curb, and I just ignore them. . I had a roadie swear to me that it was way safer to ride at the curb through the bus stop and next to driveways. Back when I did that I nearly got hit! And ran into a car. No thanks. The urban cycling class helps you figure out when to take the lane. P

Now that I've been actually commuting on this bike, let me post an update, for people who might be interested in this either now or in the future.

I think the Linus mixte is a really nice bike. It is comfortable. The 8 speed hub works well and is convenient for me for switching gears, for example at a stop light at the bottom of a hill and before going up another hill. I've ridden it all over DC, including 13 mile rides from Georgetown to Silver Spring. On a side note, I've never seen another person actually riding a Linus mixte anywhere, especially not on the Capital Crescent Trail where I see mostly hybrids and road bikes. I've seen a few Linuses parked around in DC and seen one or two people on the Linus roadsters in downtown.

The bike has been a reliable vehicle that has taken me to the grocery store, to work and back, farmer's market, etc, and over gravel, mud, pavement, potholes, sticks, and even random broken glass I couldn't avoid, with no problems or complaints. I feel I can get on it and it will take me where I need to go. I can ride it for hours without discomfort besides normal backside pains from being a new rider. It has reliably carried a pretty heavy, full bag of groceries or of commuting stuff on the back rack with no problems at all.

However--it is difficult for me to get up steep hills on my surprisingly hilly commute from downtown DC to Silver Spring. I can do it, but it's hard, and it's also hard on my hip and knee joints after a while because my leg muscles aren't really strong enough yet to push me and the bike up that 10th hill. The gearing also seems high.

I don't have much to compare it to but I think the bike is fairly slow. And something that I don't love about it is that it's a magnet for attention. It doesn't blend in at all. It's beautiful but that has a bad side when I don't want to talk to five different people every time I lock it up or draw looks from people as I pass in okay but not familiar-to-me neighborhoods. It sticks out like a beacon and I can't imagine compounding that by putting a Brooks saddle on it, not without people trying to steal the bike. Not a strike against the bike, but just something I've discovered that I never thought of.

Another thing I've discovered is that the mechanics at the chain of bike shops where I bought the bike don't seem to enjoy working on it or view it with much respect, which is a shame and is annoying. I guess this is because it's seen as a leisurely, fashion-y bike for poseurs, despite the fact that mine is a nice steel frame (not hi ten) bike that has been very dependable to ride. For people who want a "new vintage" style steel bike there are very few options, and this is one. I've felt that the mechanics haven't taken the bike seriously or me seriously, and that's been both a disappointment and a big push for me to learn to work on bikes myself to avoid depending on others. Again, not a reflection on the bike but still something to think about when purchasing one for commuting or anything else.

Because of the hills issue, I've decided to get a road bike and try that out too. I have a different post on bike forums about it. It's a 1987 Schwinn Voyageur that I got on CL. It is noticeably lighter than the Linus (which is understandable of course, bc it's a completely different kind of bike) and I want to see how riding it on the commute compares. I think I will end up alternating between both bikes for commuting. Once I'm in better shape I'll have an easier time with the Linus on hills.

Basically, what I've found is that the Linus is good for commuting, with a few caveats that could be dealbreakers depending on what a person wants out of a bike. It is dependable, fun, and resilient, but at the same time fairly heavy, can be difficult on steep hills, and draws attention to itself in an urban setting.

This has turned into more of a review of Linus in general but I thought I'd share.

It's good data either way, [MENTION=438556]missmixte[/MENTION].


Your comment about your knees hurting makes me wonder if your saddle is too low. While a low saddle makes it easier to mount and dismount the bike, it robs leverage from your legs and can lead to knee strain -- my left knee is particularly sensitive to saddle height.

Good point, I have agonized over the height and have it pretty high, and I think it's at the correct height, but I'll think about that. It's mostly just once in a rare while with the knee thing, bc my knees aren't the greatest. But I will check!

Okay! Too high isn't good either.

I didn't believe you about the frame material... I wouldn't have guessed the bikes had a different frame between the 3 and 8 speed. But the website clearly states hi-ten for the 3 and 4130 chromoly for the 8. That's a nice upgrade.

Yeah, it is pretty cool--that was one feature I really liked. I didn't want to pay $$ for a new bike made of hi ten steel.
I got the 8 on sale for what the 3 usually costs, so I thought it was a decent deal.

Having the bike for a bit, reading more about bikes, and watching craigslist for bikes, I see now that mine is meant to be a sort of new Peugeot mixte crossed with an English three speed (but with eight speeds), with a pinch of Dutch transportation bike philosophy thrown in. It's interesting. Whether I would buy it again or instead buy a couple of vintage bikes that do different, more specialized tasks, I'm not sure. C'est la vie, this is the bike I have, and it gets the job mostly done.

If you are struggling just with the hills, you can get the gearing changed by lowering the whole gear box (my completely non technical term). I haven't ridden the Linus mixte. I have a mixte with the 8sp Alfine hub. During the build I prioritized getting a low low gear to deal with hills. And the lower low helped a lot. Until I hurt my knee this spring. So I am debating if I want to get an even lower low gear. But it is an easy change for the bike shop.

Also, see if you can find a bike shop that specializes in townie bikes like the Linus. There is a shop near my house that only sells urban utility bikes. Linus. Custom builds with steel frames and fenders etc. They love this type of bike and totally understand wanting to replace my rear rack with a nicer looking one. The stock porteur racks and everyone's bike, whether new or vintage is practical. No weight snobs at this shop. It is a great place to get advice and my work done.

Now I have switched to a tricked out soma mixte set up at as a perfect townie bike. We have enough urban commuter shops where the reaction to my bike is positive. Even the mechanics are excited! "Omg, you have the Alfine hub! Dynamo lights, I am going to add those too. Nice fenders."

Find a better shop.

+1 on "Find a better shop" My view is that any bike in a shop should be welcomed.
A LBS is into fat tired bikes and every thing else isn't worth their time....so as a result, I went elsewhere. The new shop is terrific. Also, I work on my bike with their encouragement. I know I can bring it in if I'm over my head. And they will tell me how to do it. I think they appreciate the effort (and I buy everything through them). And they are happy to do the work if I need it.

Speaking of bike shops, since you're in DC you might want to check out The Daily Rider on H St. Their focus seems to be utility biking. I've also been in BicycleSPACE a couple of times and they seem to have a good selection of utility bikes and commuting accessories.

???

What kind of jerk LBS gives you flak over riding a Linus? That's not very cool

I am surprised that is get's so many stares. It's not a particularly radical design or anything.
How fast are you looking to go, btw? Just asking because it is such a subjective thing.

If you haven't biked it some time, the speed may just come as the "engine" gets stronger.

Haha I didn't know what to say to that either.

I'm not trying to go very fast. Right now a 7 mile commute takes me an hour. If I could get it down to 45 minutes either through better fitness or the bike or a combination, I'd be happy.
I totally agree that most of the slowness is in the engine!!

I gave up performance in order to gain comfort and style after my mid 30s, and Linus has been a strong source of influence on my bikes (i.e., my road bike conversions and CL restorations)

This is what I was riding, before it got stolen on June 27th. Very influenced by the Gaston.



If you ever feel the need for speed, consider converting an older touring or even a more relaxed road. Craigslist, $200 + $200 on upgrades can give you a $1000+ experience

What is a Name anyhow?

Also the route too. Do you have lots of traffic lights?

I am not very fast but around my neighborhood there are lots of traffic lights on some streets. I can't tell you how often someone speeds off uber fast who I run into at the next light. Sometimes we are going the same place, and although they seem way faster, I show up 1 minute behind them, at my much slower pace.

Traffic lights are the great equalizer.

Oh, of course...

Then if you are happy with the Linus otherwise, I'd stick with it. Let people stare.
Besides speed hubs are great!

I ride my son in law's Linus when I'm in LA and love it. Absolutely capable as an urban commuter, grocery getter and stylish cruiser imho. Even if you wind up getting a lighter faster bikes as your fitness levelk improves, keep this one as your work horse. Outfit if for commuting and hauling. Save you lighter-faster bike for long rides over more challenging terrain.

For some more late comments

If you're having problems with hills, I'll repeat the earlier comment that it should not be hard to change the rear sprocket to a larger gear (more teeth). This will give you lower gears to make the hills easier, but it will also lower your fastest gear. So if you use the fastest gear, it will be even slower if you change gears to make hills easier.

I have a bike with a Nexus 7 IGH; while it's possible to change the gear yourself, if you have limited experience and ride the bike everyday it might be easier to have a good bike shop do it for you. Washington should have enough bike shops that I'd expect to be able to find one that works with commuters - go to them instead of to a shop that doesn't like your Linus for whatever reason)

For the pretty bike/theft issue, you might try wrapping bar tape or old inner tubes around the frame. I bought a Bridgestone MTB in Cambridge Mass that had some bar tape around some of the frame tubes. This has no effect on the function and is easily reversible if you want a pretty bike in nice areas, but in high theft areas it covers the labels and other wise makes the bike look poorly maintained. Of course, your bike really is brand new, so some attention is likely unavoidable.

Let us know if you find a good bike shop/mechanic.

For saddle height, usually when the saddle is at optimal height, your feet can't really touch the ground while stopped except maybe the very end of your toes. That assumes a normal seat tube angle, not the "feet forward" geometry of the Electra Townie and other similar bikes. It's best to slide forward off the saddle when stopping, to put a foot on the ground, and then push back up onto the saddle again when you get going.

If you sit on the saddle with a foot on the ground while stopped, your saddle is almost surely too low and probably the source of your knee problems. When I was fitted to my road bike, I realized that my MTB (used on the road) saddle had been far too low all that time prior.

Try setting the saddle height so that when you are sitting on it, you can straighten your leg with the arch of your foot on the pedal. Linus is a very well put together bike. Years ago, when I think they were just getting started, I went to their Santa Monica store because they were the only local supply of Proofhide. I checked out their bikes loved the colors and their choice of parts. They are very popular around here. I recently "Linused" one of my road bikes.