Hi guys, first time poster. I'm a college student looking for a reliable, quick bike for getting around campus. Nothing fancy.

Recently, a friend showed me the a-lee line from Tokyo Designs, and I'm thinking about getting one. At $200 for a new bike, it's hard to resist.. Does anyone have experience with the brand, or any other thoughts? Thanks!

Their site: https://www.tokyodesignbike.com/index...=index&cPath=7

Campus? how many locks can you carry on it to not have it stolen?


a just name..

Look for the 'Made in China' sticker at that price..
Ask about the after sale service..

Apparently it is as LA importer from China so , I expect A bso..

Noob ?
I'd go to a place you can test ride any bike first,
so you can see, & try, before you buy.

I like the design of the bike but there is no way I would send them $200.00. It looks to me like a Wal-Mart quality bike. You didn’t say what your budget was. If you are looking to stay at or under $200.00 start thinking used and check out places like craigslist.

I'd be surprised if a new $200 bike would meet your requirement of "reliable."

That frame design looks pretty wacky. And with all those trendy colors, it looks to be the sort of bike you want to be seen riding, not the sort you'd want to ride.

What caught my eye first was part of the warranty that said "PLEASE TIGHTEN ALL LOCKRINGS, CRANKS, AND PEDALS ETC., BEFORE AND AFTER EVERY RIDE". Then I noticed that it was pretty much all no-name hardware.

The shifters are friction shifters which is a bit of a throwback. No telling how long the screws and nuts will last before they strip. And at least the A Lee 714 has only 14 gears. This is set up like a 1970s streetbike. Looks like it's made in China and sold through Japan. Currrently, the dealer network is limited to L.A, and one sells books as well as bikes. Not a particularly elegant looking frame in my opinion. You get what you pay for.

Is there a bike co-op on or near campus? I wouldn't buy anything new and/or unusual. It would be too much of a theft target.

Well lets look at a couple of things.

1) This was the OP's first post
2) It includes a link to an obscure online retailer
3) 24 hours later, there has been no response from the OP

All of that adds up to a spam post trying to get business...

Tokyo Design bikes are ugly pieces of poop. They make for the ugly by being flimsy toads.

Track drops are played out.

Not necessarily. It could also be a clueless newbie who's busy. It wasn't a very successful promotion if that's what it attempted to be. A marketing professional would have to score this as a marketing failure for the response they've gotten.

Well, now that it's been 48 hours without the OP, I'm thinking that you might be right.

Sorry, this wasn't a spam post. I am a college student, and I'm incredibly busy. Anyway, thank you for your advice on the bike. I just wanted to run it by people who know what they're talking about, so I wouldn't buy a piece of crap (which the Tokyo Design seems to be). Thanks for all your help.

Glad we could help. As you can see, we can be a bit cynical sometimes. Welcome to the Forum. I'm sure you'll learn a lot here. You may also want to look in the commuter forum for ideas of useful bicycles.