starbright57

I posted this message on one of the other topics and it was suggested that I post it here on the general forum to see if anyone has a Biria or has ridden one.

Here tis:

I have been looking at a Biria EZ off which is imported from Germany. I live in the Midwest and the bicycle shop is in a town about 90 miles from where I live. I can't find any consumer comments on the Biria and it has been in this country since about 2002. It is a new design with a low step up.

About four years ago, I gave my old bicycle away and bought a new three speed with a coaster brake. It is a man's bicycle and I cannot get used to getting off.

I have upset twice with it now and decided that it would be cheaper to buy a new bicycle than pay the hospital bill when I break something the next time I end up in a heap.

When I get off the bicycle, my reflex is to want to move my right leg to the left and the bar on the man's bicycle is in the way. Evidently, part of learning how to ride a bicycle is that you don't forget is how to get off the bicycle the way you learned.

I am tired of bicycles that have brakes that don't work, gears that don't work so will buy one at a bicycle shop. Almost have to, because Kmart and Walmart don't stock girls bicycles. That's why I bought a boys bicycle last time, I couldn't find a girls bicycle.

www.biria.com and check bicycles to see a picture. They also have a picture on the first page.

I was wondering anyone here has one and how they like it. With the EZ off new design, I am wondering if the frame will stay straight, etc.

thank you, Mary

halfspeed

Hmm, still no help. Do a search of the forums and you'll find them mentioned in a number of threads. Or just use this pre-made search: https://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=2311545

Banzai

You may want to "re-train" your reflexes. A step through weakens the geometry of a frame, and is an archaic throwback to when a woman couldn't wear pants or shorts. Almost all quality women's frames now will NOT have a step through...simply different geometry to be more efficient for the female biker.

Not to get all "women's lib" on you, but a step through all but says "a woman can't ride a sound bike frame because she must wear clothing that precludes activity."

halfspeed

That's funny, to me it says "not everyone who rides a bike has to be young, healthy and fit".

There are a lot of people who, for lots of reasons, may have difficulty with a double diamond frame and THAT is why there are still lots of step through frames available. And there's no reason they need to be weaker if they are designed well.

Siu Blue Wind

Really. I'd like to see an 89 year old grandma throw her leg over the rear tire to get on her bike. There's a retirement community in my area and most of the older folks have step throughs. Even so for the older gentlemen who can't quite swing that leg over anymore!

Blue Order

I started out on a tricycle, and I'm gonna wrap things up on a tricycle. Hopefully, not in diapers.

starbright57

There are a lot of people who, for lots of reasons, may have difficulty with a double diamond frame and THAT is why there are still lots of step through frames available. And there's no reason they need to be weaker if they are designed well.

That's me. I have to tilt the bicycle down to the left with a man's bicycle to get my leg over the seat. Which is why, to retain my reflexes would mean that I would also have to remember to tilt the bike.

I did buy the Biria. I didn't need that low of a step through, but I thought it unique looking. I think we'll get along quite well together. I was really looking for some comments from someone who had one, but maybe people who buy them aren't on bicycle message forums.

I wonder why a long time ago they designed bicycles differently for men and women. The real older bicycles had that one big front wheel and the smaller back wheel. Then the future designs shows up with a bar across and then the step through for women.

Woman or man should use the bicycle they are comfortable with and can afford. I think older gentlemen have lost the stigma of riding a step through bicycle. They know that their masculinity is not judged by their "wheels," either bicycles or vehicles. As they got older have learned other things make you a man. And why should they give up the enjoyment of a bicycle because of a physical reason. Possibly I should delete this last paragraph since I don't want to turn this into a debate...and the reason I didn't reply in the first place.

Thank you for understanding and stating that sometimes a few of us do have some physical reasons involved in our decisions.

Siu Blue Wind

Congrats! Which model did you get? I like the "Safety" myself.

Banzai

Ok, ok, you guys are right...and perhaps I should have thought that through a little better!

On to matters of history, without too much detail.

The "big wheel" bicycle (known as the "pennyfarthing") was the means chosen to facilitate the transfer of energy from pedals to wheel. However, upon the invention of the form of drive involving a chain and two chainrings, the "big wheel" was no longer necessary.

Look at it this way...on a chain driven bike, your rear wheel (even if single speed) has a much smaller chainring to a much larger wheel. Your chainring by your pedals is also larger than the rear one. In essence the mechanical energy is transformed from kind of big (front chainring) to really small (rear chainring) to big (rear wheel), while preserving all the ratios. Prior to this innovation, the same ratio was achieved with kind of big (front chainring) to really really big (front wheel.)

After this came the diamond frame, and with that was also created the "step through" frame, to allow women to ride who were not allowed to wear anything but skirts/dresses. The step through obviously allowed a preservation of modesty.

Again, however, all of you are right about the applicability of the step through frame still. The most important thing is that you do ride and enjoy it, and if you do that then that step through frame is every bit as good as the slickest racing bike.

Siu Blue Wind

I respect a person who can step back and make a correction. You're cool like that, banzai.

starbright57

Banzai... you and many more like you will make it easier for anyone to ride a step through bicycle. It is time for the world to look at a bicycle as a bicycle and not as a man's or woman's bike. Your history lesson is good to learn. It is interesting that when they did make the small wheel frame for a men, someone was nice enough to think of the ladies of the time and make a bicycle they could ride.

I bought the EZ3...mainly because that is what they had in stock and it was unique looking. I know other people buy bicycles for more legitimate reasons that's for sure. I think it will work our really well. I put my dog's basket on and we had a great spin around town last night. Really relaxing ride.

I am wondering though.....in third gear, if I peddle and then quit peddling and coast awhile...when I start peddling again, it doesn't "catch" right away. Sort of dead spot and then it catches. Not all the time just every now and then. Does this mean it doesn't work correctly, or as the bike shop person said, the peddles just need to catch up or something along that line. I'll ride it awhile to see what is going on, maybe it will need some sort of adjustment. No big deal, but would like to know if this is really correct while it is still under warranty.

On my other bicycles which were also three speed, this did not happen. Would appreciate your thoughts...thank you

Banzai

Could be there's some slack in the chain...either it's a link too large, or the tensioner (if derailleur equipped) isn't pulling enough. Once the force of the pedals pulls the chain fully tight it "engages". I should look up that bike online and see the pieces and parts.

Banzai

Hmmm...it's an internal hub, and I have to confess a huge amount of ignorance about those. I remember though my bike as a kid had this sort of internal hub brake, where if I pedalled in reverse that was how you hit the brakes. After coasting like you described, a forward pedal would have a moment of "slack" before it "caught". I wonder if this is normal for internal hub mechanisms of all kinds, as the gee-gaws and doo-dads and flywheels catch up with what you're doing?
Your old three speed that didn't do this...was it derailleur equipped? If so, that would explain the difference.

randya

Periodic cable adjustments are required on internal hub bikes. The cable will stretch a bit when new, and so may need to be adjusted more frequently until broken in. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation or get the shop you bought the bike at to check and adjust the cable for you.

halfspeed

There's a more legitimate reason than that?

I haven't ridden one, but it really looks like an extremely well designed city/commuter bike. Everything is low maintenance and it is truly completely outfitted for year-round commuting. Even if you decide you want something "racier" later, you'll probably want to keep this one for errands and commuting.

Dahon.Steve

It sounds like the bike shop does not know how to adjust a 3 speed correctly because the transmission is getting stuck or lost in between gears. My Sturmey Archer 3 speed used to do this if the bike hit a hard bump and it would knock the tranmission between gears. I'm surprised this happens to a new bicycle but it can be fixed because the cables stretch as someone stated and will need to be adjusted. well.

I'm not aware of how a SRAM 3 speed works but it's similar principle as a Sturmey Archer hub. Go to the Sram site and see how to make this slight adjustment.

starbright57

Thank you for such good advice. I found the site immediately and looked to see just what needed to be done. Looked the pictures, and sort of wondered. Then went to look at my bike. The plot thickens. As shown on the Biria site they say it is a SRAM. Well.....my bike has this: Shimano Nexus written on it.

I just wanted a bicycle that would work and thought I'd go to a bike shop to find one. I have not a clue on different parts, etc. Why wouldn't it have the gears that was shown on the web site I wonder. I haven't been able to find a good page on the Nexus gears. Are they cheaper, the same, etc., ?

There is a small window the size of my thumb that says "set" and a yellow mark on top and through the window you see another yellow mark. They are almost aligned. Looks like you would use an Allen wrench, but I'm not sure which way to turn, or even if I should. Or it looks like one could take off a little black cover with a Phillips screwdriver and get in there. I don't' have a set of Allen wrenches.

After riding it some more, it comes out of 2nd gear. All of a sudden, I'm just peddling and I'm just rotating the peddles and nothing happens. In 3rd gear there is really too much play in each down stroke.

I haven't called the bike shop yet, it is 80 miles away. You probably all know what you buy when you buy a bike, but would you be upset if the Biria website said that original equipment was something else?

I am wondering if he will let me take it back and get a different brand at this point. It seems to be a reputable bike shop and carries a lot of bicycles. I do like the design though.

Would appreciate more thoughts. I wished I had run across a thread like this on the internet when I was looking at it. But found no discussions on a Biria at all.

Banzai

I had never heard about Biria before your thread, Starbright. Looking at the site, they look alright (but don't most things on the web?). The only thing I don't like about it at first glance is that it's made out of "Hi-Ten", which is fancy talk for "high tensile" steel. Nothing really special about that. If you're going steel, most people will recommend Reynolds 531, or Cro-Moly (Chromium-Molybdenum alloy.) I personally like aluminum (6xxx or really 7xxx), but there are a lot of opinions concerning frame material.
If you are looking at trading up, or laterally at least, may I make the following recommendation?
If they can get Fuji bikes, I highly suggest going to www.fujibikes.com, go to the "lifestyle" tab and checking out the following:
Any of the "ladies" models. (It will be the hyperlinked word that says "Ladies" to the right of the model name), with particular attention to;
Any version of the Monterey.
The Kyoto 2.0.
The rest for kicks and grins.
I was going to suggest these after my mea culpa about poo-pooing step through frames, but you had already bought the Biria.
Just a thought.