Howdy all,
Just wondering if anyone has any experience or opinions on this bike. Can't find many reviews-but from the ones i've found-it seems to be a quality bike-although pricey. 8 speed nexus red line, brooks b67, rear rack (although not pictured), chain guard, fenders, B&M front and rear lights....

I like the fat tires and frame design-kind of has a look of its own.



Thanks!

JP

It has a distinctive style. I'd add a mudflap to the front fender though.

I have no experience with the brand or anything, but I'd say go for it.

Thx expatin-i'll consider the mudflap hah

I'm in love with the retrovelos, but they're too much scratch for me, as they're basically an 80's MTB with fancy lugs and nice paint. I could probably build up a MTB for half the cost...at most.

Yea it's deff nice-just not cheap


-any other opinions???

We have experience with the Retrovelo "Classic Series" Paul and Paula, and Retrovelo's "Modern Series" Alfons. We also own a Workcycles Secret Service ladies model for comparison. The Retrovelo's are German designed and have geometry more akin to a 1980's mountain bike. The Workcycles are Dutch and have a little more laid back seat tube angle.

We find the Retrovelo's are much lighter and more agile compared to the sturdy Workcycles bikes - and the Secret Service is one of their lighter, more agile offerings. The Secret Service would be a better choice to leave parked outside everyday for 20 years with its fully enclosed chain guard. I feel the Secret Service could tote more weight with the optional, frame-mounted front rack and stout rear rack. However, the tires on the Secret Service are 700x35, and don't feel as secure under load as the 26 x 2.35 Fat Franks on the Retrovelo.

We purchased the Paul and Paula as 8-speeds. Their lugged frame is CroMo steel. The build quality, fit and finish of all the Retrovelos is extremely high compared to what is otherwise available in the USA, being surpassed only by $4,000+ custom-frame bikes, in my opinion. There is virtually no plastic on the Retrovelo bikes. The fenders are powdered coated stainless steel for god's sake and will last a lifetime. The optional CroMo steel rear rack is very sturdy, although it is missing a place to clip the lower hook of a pannier.

The handlebars on the Paul have too much pull back or sweep for my 6'4" size, but seem fine for a woman on the Paula. Do figure an upright seating position, which is excellent for good vision and safety in traffic, but not so great when bucking a strong headwind on a long journey (say 10+ miles). Not an issue if you use the bike to make a short city commute, or ride for fitness.

The higher end Alfons model offers a double-butted CroMo frame, and is noticeably lighter than the Paul. Retrovelo also offers the Anna as a companion to the Alfons, which has a mixte frame. The Alfons comes with handlebars that are a little straighter than the Paul, and allow a little more lean forward. The Alfons comes with Avid BB7 disc brakes - which are very powerful and secure in hilly country.

Both the Paul/Paula and Alfons/Anna bikes have the excellent Fat Frank tires, which I find fabulous for riding in urban conditions. Contrary to conventional wisdom, I find I ride faster in typical city conditions with the large Fat Franks, than old fashioned skinny tires, as they run smooth and absorb the bumps and potholes so much better. When I rode high pressure, narrow tires on my road bike, I constantly had to slow down for the bumps to prevent severe jarring and even pinch flats and broken spokes on occasion.

Both the Retrovelos and the Workcycles Secret Service come with excellent lights powered by a hub dynamo.

The Alfons comes with a Shimano Alfine 11-speed internal gear hub, vs. the Shimano Nexus 8-speed in the Paula and Paula. After some research, I found out the gearing in the Nexus 8 and Alfine 11 is virtually the same, except the Alfine 11 has three more gears at the top end. A waste for this type of bike, in my view. What is really needed is more low gearing for climbing hills, especially laden down. The Retrovelo's are city bikes made to carry a load, such as your briefcase or groceries. To get lower gearing, I swapped the 42T chainring on the Alfons for a 39T, which is contrary to Shimano's recommendations, but has worked great here in hilly Seattle. I ride the Paul in flat Tucson and the Nexus 8-speed works just fine as-is.

As far as fit, the Retrovelos come in limited frame sizes, so plan to do some fitting if you are not average. The stem on the Paul and Alfons is a quill type, and is adjustable up and down in height. The stems can be ordered in short (80 mm) and long (100 mm) lengths, so make sure your bike dealer takes the time to figure out the correct length for you.

I will also change out the handlebars on the Paul to something straighter like the handlebars available on the Alfons. Knowing what i know now, I would order the Paul with the Alfons handlebars. I also changed out the pedals on the Alfons from a conventional rat trap touring pedal to a larger platform with traction pins (I went with the fantastic Velo Orange Grand Cru Sabot platforms).

Wow, LOVE finding all this info, thanks so much for posting it all. I have a Workcycles Ladies Secret Service currently and was already dreaming of swapping it out for a Retrovelo. You've just confirmed it for me, lol.

Here's a review of the Klara by Retrovelo: https://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2012/...-gorgeous.html. Not quite as nicely equipped, and this one is the women's frame, but it might give you some good info. on the brand.

Thanks! Love that blog. I've been over that review and a few others several times. It's next to impossible to find a Retrovelo in person to try out where I live so I'm always happy to read a first hand account from someone else as I stalk them and dream.

Giant Doofus,

I do not have 100 posts, so cannot respond to PM's. I purchased our Retrovelo's from "A Street Bike Named Desire" in Palo Alto, CA.

https://https://www.astreetbikenameddesire.com

The bikes took about 10 weeks to arrive after ordering. They were shipped from Germany to CA and the CA to WA and AZ where we have our homes.

The bikes are also sold from a few other dealers in the US. https://https://www.retrovelo.de/united-states.html


I found more info on the Modern Series bikes on the german language version of Retrovelo's website and translated it to English with Google Translate. https://https://www.retrovelo.de/anna-26.html

See order form from Retrovelo with 2013 prices:

Thanks! We have family in CA, so may actually be able to visit that bike shop.