Addiekb

Hello! I've been searching for the perfect city bike for quite some time and have been having a hard time deciding which would be best. I live in a small city and want to start biking to work, for groceries, and leisure. There aren't too many hills but there definitely are a couple. I want a bike with a somewhat retro style. My budget is around $800. The bikes I've found so far are the tokyobike bisou, the bobbin bramble, papillionaires, and Brooklyn bicycles. It can't be too heavy as I will carry it up stairs every once in a while. Please help!

NormanF

If you can go modern, the Diamondback STI-8 on Amazon may just check all your boxes.


https://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Bi.../dp/B00ODZ8QQS


If light weight in getting a bike up the stairs once in a while is important, an alloy frame in a city bike will portage a lot easier than with a hi-ten or cromoly steel frame bike. And at $652.33, it leaves room in your $800 budget to add a rear rack, fenders and grocery panniers. And the shipping is free!

fietsbob

No walk in Bike Shops? Not much of a City.

elmore leonard

I would shop Craigs List. You will probably find what you want for under $150.

blue192

My KHS Westwood with a kickstand, fenders, bell, and rear rack would be under that price in USA dollars. It is the perfect city bike. It is nice and comfortable and gets a decent speed with an upright posture not hunched over like a road bike. And best of all because it does not say Trek on the side thieves will not attempt to steal it as fast.

blakcloud

The style of bike you want is typically heavy, there is pretty well no getting around that with this style. It looks like you want a step through frame with classic styling so all the bikes that were recommended above really don't seem to fit your criteria.

A few others I would consider.
Simcoe bikes. Local company to me, so I like them. The bike itself has great rack and fenders for your commute. This isn't something you will have to buy as an accessory. Plus they just fit the bike so well. There are small features like using leather washers on the fenders so you don't get the rattling sound. I know its small but those details just make the bike better.

Pashley has to be my ultimate favorite when it comes to this style of bike. Very heavy but so well built. I consider this bike the ultimate Rolls Royce of step through frames.

Going down in price would be the Linus like of bikes, the Dutch 3 or 8. The company has been around for a few years and the like looks pretty good. Probably similar to the the others you listed.

Public bikes would be another I would consider. They are on sale now so you might get a deal.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the bikes that you listed. If you are going to commute in the rain, buy fenders. If your are going to carry things, think basket and at least a rear rack. Buy a bell and have a good time. Good luck.

practical

I can't tell you what bike is just right for you, but I can tell you about my Giant Escape 1 and why I like it. I love city biking - going down streets, taking short cuts across the grass through a park, up on bike path, back onto a busy road, etc. I like my bike because I like the flat bar handlebars. They give me greater visibility and make me more visible. The shifting is quick and easy and the brakes are always at my fingertips. The flat bar also accommodates a mirror very well which is an absolute essential when biking in traffic. There are dropouts to let you add racks on the front and back. It weighs about 28 pounds (mine is a large). The rims give you plenty of options for tire size and tread. It cost $650 new at the bike shop so it's right in your budget. It would be worth checking out. Good luck.

1989Pre 

What's wrong with the Bramble? It looks like a nice bike! Decent price, too.
It might take a little bit of effort carrying it, but if you're in ok health, it
shouldn't be much of a problem.
(If you go that route, make sure you decide on the model with 26" wheels,
or 700c).

ramzilla

If you really want to carry it up stairs & on buses it's got to be light. Look for aluminum frame bikes with carbon forks. Needs to have lightweight in the description. Anything over about 21lbs is too heavy.

Jaywalk3r

Most US bike shops don't carry proper city bikes, e.g., Work Cycles, Pashley, etc. To be fair, that's more of an indication of bike manufacturers neglecting a market than bike shops ignoring them.

fietsbob

You have no imagination on how you make what bike you can get to ride in the city, I Assume,.

and Need the Fashionable Bike you cannot get at your convenience cheaply enough then ..

Join The Hip masses moving to Portland ... they have over 100 bike shops there ..
Clever Cycles stocks The Works Cycle , in that city. (they will ship, By freight, Its kind of expensive)

You probably dont want to pay what those Dutch and British Made bikes cost once you include shipping
to a retailer who also has to add their cost of doing Business.. so its there, when you walk in.


Im out in a Fishing , Brewing eating, tourist town , I ride My Brompton, and take it into the Bar.

Jaywalk3r

Bikes are like Linux operating systems. With enough modifications, most any bike can be transformed into something suited for a task completely different from the one originally intended by the manufacturer. What can be made to work as a city bike via upgrades and additions and what is well suited by initial design are two different things.

My bike, which started life as a singlespeed 29er, has evolved into a fantastic city bike in the 7+ years since I bought it new (with the glaring exception that it still lacks a full chain case). I've never seen anything in a US (mostly midwest and southeast regions) bike shop that would be nearly as suitable for my urban utility and commuting needs without requiring substantial upgrades and additional accessories. However, I can go to Work Cycles Web site (for example) and find several models that are better suited without any major changes. It's the difference between a manufacturer focusing on the recreational market versus the utility market.

vsudhir18

I believe they ship from Europe but have prices in CAD.

*Chain Reaction Cycles | MTB | Road | TRI | Run

Lots of city bikes listed there.

Addiekb

Thanks everyone for the help!!! Will look through all of them. I'm currently leaning towards tokyobike bisou, which is a little lighter than all the other models I was looking at. It doesn't seem like there is much information on these bikes however, but I think that's because they haven't really come to America yet.

jade408

Those all suit your needs. I have a heavy bike, and an elevator. I did get a frame handle that makes things easier.

Another good old option is to set a used 70s/80s steel road bike and convert it to upright use. These bikes are light and tend to have all the brazeons for fenders and racks. Would also look classic.

techsensei

I've been in the bicycle industry for decades. Judging by the photo of the bike (since there are no detailed specs) I'd say the Bisou is wildly overpriced by hundreds of dollars.

Where do you live; what city and state?