I'm just starting to commute on my bike, and my old BMX from my junior high days isn't exactly holding up. I've been doing a bit of research, and I have a pretty good idea of what I want, but absolutely no knowledge of anything relating to brands or manufacturers.

The specs I'm looking for are:
<$700
single speed
steel frame
fenders
rear rack

That's honestly all I want from a bike. I was originally looking at something along the lines of a Dutch city bike or Flying Pigeon, but I'm slowly leaning toward something like the Steelwool Tweed (besides the fact that it's near impossible to find online and likely rather expensive). My current pick is the Giant Via 3, but I'd like to make as informed a decision as possible.

Any advice, recommendations, or examples would be very much appreciated.

Fenders and rear rack can be added later and cheaply (eBay or Craigslist).

My recommendations
Nashbar Argyle (as simple as it gets) or Nashbar Steel Commuter

Welcome To Bike Forums, Epamek!

There's no doubt that the Giant Via 3 is one of the best deals on the planet. However, there's absolutely no comparison between the quality of a Steelwool Tweed and a Via 3. From a more practical economic standpoint, the Via 3 will be able to do everything that a Tweed will be able to do, with the exception of porting loads.

The Tweed has a stronger frame than the Via 3, and will therefore be able to carry greater loads. You will also be a better able to attach panniers and rack, without any heel strikes, since the wheel base is longer.

Tweed will also feel more comfortable on longer commutes or errands, due to the drop handlebars and your varied hand positions available..


The Steelwool Tweed

I had to Google up the Tweed, not bad. That being said, as you've pointed out, they're kinda hard to come by. The Via 3 isn't that bad of choice (the Via 2 is on my short list).

How long is your short list, No1mad?

I found the bike I've been looking for all along.

Dutchie Dapper

Genuine Dutch, and it's squarely within my price range.

If anyone would care to comment on the specs, I can't really glean anything from them (no manufacturer names? that scares me).

I would strongly advise against this purchase at this time. While I am familiar with the quality of the Steelwools, I am not in the least familiar with this brand at all. Since they're based in London, I wouldn't bank on customer service being that great.

I would think that the Giant Via 3 and the Steelwool Tweed would be more to your economical and cerebral advantage.


The Giant Via 3

* When you view the specifications of most bicycle catalogues, there is some mention of frame material. Most bicycle manufacturers are delighted to announce that their bicycles are made of chromoly steel. When bicycles are not made of chromoly steel, then some manufacturers who overcharge, omit this fact. They instead, charge chromoly steel prices for hi tensile steel bicycles.

Let's just stick with the Giant Via and the Tweed.

This made me laugh:

Light weight at just 18.5kg for the Single Speed and 19.5kg for the 3-Speed

Damn 3 speed is well over 40 lbs! It's a bloody ship's anchor!

* Nothing screams hi tensile like weight does!

Don't be frightened by the lack of brand-name specs, these are pretty robust machines and I see no reason to suppose that Dutchie won't stand behind their guarantee. I've seen a fair few of these bikes around London, they have a sort of anti-cool cool factor, if you know what I mean.

Not my style, but if you want a traditional Dutch bike for practical city transport, I doubt if you'll find anything better for the money. As others have pointed out, lightweight is not an apt description; but if a bike like this is to your taste, my guess is you aren't planning on racing it.

This doesn't negate the fact that hi tensile steel is the weakest and cheapest steel available for the manufacturing of bicycles.

Ah...No thank you! I think it's best that we just move on....

I have no idea what you mean. They may be cool in the Dutch Amish community.

good luck getting these people to see beyond their myopic misunderstandings about city bike quality/usage.

like the lack of dynamo, integrated pump, strap protection (good when people actually ride on the back), or proper wheel lock on the Via 3.

I'd easily take the extra weight and supposed lackluster frame quality in real-life city usage.

So would you like to take the extra weight up four or five flights of steps, daily too? Hey listen! Even the Dutch themselves talk about the awful weight of their classic city bikes and how they're forced to lock them up outside, due to the laborious weight factor.

Can you fanthom that, with your supposed panoramic macroscopic comprehensive aptitude?

locking them up outside is more convenient, i like it really.

why would i want to a wet/cold/snow-covered bike inside?

I think we've just gone from the obviously ridiculous to the absolutely sublime!

You're the ridiculous one, as usual. Clearly a heavy bike is harder to carry upstairs. If that's the sum of your objections, congratulations on your perspicacity. The rest of your observations on this thread are pretty worthless, really. As always, your advice to everybody is to buy the bike that you would like, as opposed to the bike that they might like.

I recently saw a travel show (think it was Globetrekker) about Amsterdam. There were bikes locked up literally everywhere . . . a real eyesore in an otherwise nice looking city. They even had a special barge equipped to retrieve bikes from canals. It was heaped with discarded bikes. Sad what has happened there.

I can assure you that few folks here have even heard of the "Dutchie". While I am quite certain that the Dutchie company is a legitimate bicycle company and that it makes this retro Dutch city bike, I can't for the life of me, comprehend its reasoning behind using hi tensile steel, as opposed to chromoly steel.

Now, what could have been an extrordinary retro cycling delight, has now become an obtuse albatross of a failed cycling import, solely due to its weight.

Back to the drawing boards with you, Dutchie!

If this bike has success in the United States, then I'm the ridiculous one! If this bike fails in the United States, then you're the ridiculous one! Deal?

PS.

They should have kept all the original stadsfiet designs, including the dynamo hub, the chain guard, the skirt guard, and the kickstand, too! Just make the bike of either 4130 or 631 chromoly, put a high black gloss on the finish, and make certain that most of the components and accessories are lined in chrome and/or silver.

I'm being serious.

Every place I lived in Stockholm had outdoor bike bike parking that was covered. I don't see the problem.

In Frankfurt, it's not covered but it doesn't really snow that much here.

I don't know anyone who would bring their city bike inside. No one will steal them as they have little aftermarket value. What someone will do is ride away on them, that's why they have a wheel lock. Outside any city supermarket there would be a dozen unchained but wheel-locked bikes on the sidewalk (kickstand is very handy here) outside the entrance/exit.

The front basket on my Monark (steel covered with rubber) could lift off the handlebars and brought inside the store to use as a shopping carry to collect groceries (it actually looked like an old shopping carry), I could go to check-out with it, and run my purchase through the register and drop them back in the basket leave the store, put it over the handlebars, ride home, leave the bike outside in covered parking, and carry the groceries upstairs with zero hassles and not even require a bag.

Let's see the Via 3 do that then I'll even acknowledge it's existence.

i'm being serious. that's part of the character of the city.

what is Amsterdam without drug and bicycles? A run down port city.

Hey! I've been to Amsterdam twice! You won't roll that "run down port city" rubbish on me, buddy! In many ways, Amsterdam is the light of the future, culturally speaking...

Now, if only we can get them to use chromoly on their city bikes, as opposed to hi tensile, they'd deserve more credit.

Well, since you asked...

-Giant Via 2. This would be great riding around in my town.
-Giant Escape City would be a good choice for around town and longer rides. Would probably put a Nashbar Trekking bar on this one.
-Raleigh Cadent FT1 was added to the list less than 2 weeks ago after seeing it in person at the Sun & Ski in Tulsa. This one would be more for fun and fitness/centuries. Would probably cut the bar down a bit and add Cane Creek Ergo II bar ends.
-Trek Sawyer would be for any off-roading/winter. Can run traditional chain, FG/SS, IGH, and Rohloff (sp?), as well as belt drive.
-Masi Speciale Commuter. No longer in production, but very versatile in the drive train department, as it could easily be configured as FG, SS, RD, 1x?, and IGH.

Any number of offerings from BD as well, but I've got this thing about riding before buying and relying on the LBS for service after the sale. Several times I've spotted bikes online that looked good, but then a quick test ride wasn't as impressive as I'd hoped...

OP- You know what you want and you know your budget. If you have to pursue the online route to get it, then make sure there is a decent return policy (though you'll probably be stuck with return shipping) and go for it.

lol at amsterdam being the light of the future.

that torch has been handed a long to time ago to the eastern areas of europe ... budapest, krakow and dubrovnik have a lot more to offer culturally, have almost as much water, and are very much less touristic.

hell, even bruges (belgium) is much nicer and has better history/culture/canals.

Never been to Amsterdam, but from what I gather it is flat, people ride in street clothes, and they don't have the urban sprawl like we do. Proper gearing will give the mechanical advantage to compensate for any weight penalty from the frame material.