Hello BikeForums,

I'm looking for a disc brake bike which has an internal gear hub, ideally with more than three speeds. I live in California and have a budget of $1,000. I'm a 5'4" female and generally prefer step through/ mixte style frames with a more relaxed, but not beach cruiser level, geometry. I do own a pair of butterfly bars, so the last part isn't a must have.

So far I've looked at the Priority Glide and Onyx, and have considered Breezer's Uptown 8LS as well as the Public M8i. While I love the Uptown, if I'm going to buy a new bike, I want it to have the best brakes possible, especially since I will likely move to a more northern state in the next six months.

Does anyone have any recommendations for bikes which meet my criteria?

What kind of terrain are you likely moving to? The Nuvinci N330 that the Priority bikes have is very smooth but heavy and doesn't have the lowest gearing, so uphill riding will be a bit more taxing if you want to go fast/spin. There's a lot to like about the Continuum Onyx whereas the Glide only has a more casual geometry going for it while being worse in every other respect -- dynamo hub and hydro brakes plus other smaller details like included fenders are worth at least the $200 difference. I have an Onyx and while the default geometry was more aggressive than my Priority Classic, it isn't too aggressive. In fact, I just removed the headset spacers this weekend because I felt it was a bit more relaxed than I wanted.

Three possible bikes for you, but none are perfect (based on your criteria).

Linus Mixte 8 (doesn't have disc brakes) - $830
https://www.linusbike.com/products/mixte-8

Specialized Sirruss Elite Alloy (no IGH) - $1000
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/wo...rough/p/129190

Tout Terrain Metropolitan Shopper (too expensive) - $more than you wanted to spend
https://www.en.tout-terrain.de/bicyc...litan-shopper/

Or have a little more fun and build one out for yourself. It would probably cost a little more, but the end results will be perfect.

Soma Buena Vista Disc (mixte frame) - $600
Buena Vista Disc Frame Set | SOMA Fabrications

That Tout Terrain looks great. It has fenders and two racks, and it looks to have a dynamo-powered headlight. Chances are, you haven't used one of those. Once you use one, you will not go back to a battery-powered headlight. How much is that bike? It might be worth stretching your budget for it.

I was looking for something similar. I found a $400 steel frame (on sale, swobo fillmore) that fits with fenders, disk brakes and shimano 8 speed. Then I put on a dynohub, lights saddle and pedals from old commuter, new PDW rack and Soma handlebar. final tab was $1K and I went through a local bike shop so that includes labor. The only upgrade left will be tires, but I'm going to wear out the kendas it came with first. The 35s I have on the old commuter wont fit inside the new fenders, my only disappointment in the build. I like big comfy tires.

The fillmore comes in a mixte frame, the company is no longer in business. You might be able to get one for less than the price on the website by asking.

As mentioned, you can always go one upgrade at a time if you start with the right bones.

I have one.. My Bike Friday, Disc, Rohloff IGH..

Got a good deal , original BTO buyer backed out , because the color was not as he desired..

its functionally like a step thru frame..


Yes you can change parts on something not quite everything you wanted, by substituting those parts for your preference..






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I really appreciate all of the recommendations. I'm probably going to be moving to Denver or Minnesota relatively soon so super low gearing isn't too important (I spent 2 summers in Denver so I'm familiar with the terrain). The Tout bike looks awesome but I don't know if I can get it in the US.

The Priority Onyx Continuum definitely seems like it's worth more money than the Glide. My only concern is whether or not a dynamo hub will be powerful enough to see the roads. I've seen videos of Dutch cyclists with Dynamo lights and they seem much weaker than my current USB light setup.

I do like the suggestion of building my own bike. However, I'm pretty sure a custom bike build will greatly exceed my budget since I'd have to source a disc step through frame, disc wheels, an Alfine hub, new brakes, rotors, etc.

Bike Friday looks interesting. I've heard of them, but never considered the company since I no longer use mixed modal transit. But hey, maybe that will change in the coming months!

The Continuum Onyx front light is plenty bright, but there's very little downside to having a second headlight (though I don't) and knowing you can always fall back on the dynamo-powered light in case the other light fails or runs out of battery.

The tail light is another matter. I have a slightly older version of the Onyx that doesn't have a dynamo-powered tail light, but someone at work does and he says he was told it was not very bright.

If you want to stretch your budget a bit, there's also the BMC Alpenchallenge, the cheapest with IGH has a MSRP of $1,299: https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/us-e...enge-ac02-one/ , which I think is the one another co-worker has. That co-worker's had some issues with his (broken spokes and belt tension that's apparently tricky to tune are the biggest), although he rides it a lot more that I do my Continuum Onyx

Have you considered the Breezer Beltway 8ST? Open frame hydraulic disk brakes, 8 speed IGH and a belt. I love my belt drive ... no maintenance, no noise, no lubricating, no greasy mess, and they last much longer than a chain.

If you visit Europe and especially The Netherlands, Denmark and other countries where bicycling is a critical mode of transportation as well as recreation you'll not see many disc brakes except on off-road bikes and a few road racing bikes. Nearly every bike will have; a rear coaster, rear coater + front roller, or front+rear roller. These are popular because they are completely internal, bullet-proof, don't require adjustment and always work in all weather conditions.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

I would suggest the ideal bike for you might be a Workcycles Gr8 but they're a bit more expensive. Next up then would be an Opafiets from Workcycles, Azor, Batavus or Gazelle.

Cycle Monkey and Peter White, on the west and east coasts.



My Pocket LLama is a travel bike, you use an hour to get it in a suitcase, and then another at the other end to get ready for the tour you flew in to start.

they discontinued their fast folding bike, in favor of a lighter , but still a take apart bike than before..

new design easy to dismantle , but they intended the pak it to go in a back pack..


I like the step thru ease of getting my old leg over the low frame tube...


Yea $1000 may be a bit under bidding the cost, but maybe you can afford more after you move away from the California cost of housing, etc.




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My understanding whenever what the Dutch use is brought up is that they generally ride at lower speeds, have separated bike paths, and ride on mostly flat and good roads. Having only visited Amsterdam once, I'm no authority on this so please correct me if I'm wrong.

In the U.S., riding slowly is not a good option if one has to share a vehicle lane. Roads/trails can be gnarly and thus comfort geometry becomes an ironic term when all the bumps are transferring from the road to your butt. I tried to commute on my Priority Classic a few years back and realized right away the geometry was a no-go.

Depends on what you call fast. Average speeds in The Netherlands are about 11-13 MPH but people riding 15-18 is common. I averaged about 16 for the 16 mile ride from Assen to Groningen once when I was late for dinner.

Below about 15 MPH a Dutch bike is more efficient than a lean forward bike so requires less energy for a given speed. A road bike is more efficient above about 18 MPH. Generally, if you feel pressure on your hands then you are wasting energy supporting your body weight with your arms and back and so would usually be more efficient sitting upright.

If you are an efficient rider then clipless pedals (or toe clips) will also help efficiency.

A CF road bike will allow you to accelerate quicker in traffic (EG, you're putting out greater watts similar to riding faster than 20 MPH) so there is that. As for me, I avoid such traffic.

I love my Alpenchallenge, but the eccentric bottom bracket they spec is cheap sh*t, had to replace mine, also have broken many spokes, cause that’s the way I roll.