NormanF

A new hybrid bike for casual riders. Its now up on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...e-cycling-easy

Video:




A belt driven bicycle for under $400! Kickstarter promotion will offer it for $349.00; regular price will be $399.00 once the company is launched.

It will not be sold through bike shops but can be ordered online to keep the price affordable. CEO David Weiner explains the vision driving the new bike company:

"I've had the idea for Priority Bicycles for many years now. I've felt that the options for a low price, high quality, low maintenance bicycle were simply too limited. Do you go to a big box store and buy something which is hard to assemble, impossible to keep tuned, and lacks style? Or do you go to a bicycle store and buy a well made and assembled bicycle, though possibly spending more than you wanted to? I believe Priority is the answer that fits in the middle."

Too many people who want a beginner bike until now had to either buy a crappy low end Walmart bike or spend more at a bike shop than they want for a high quality bike. The idea is to increase consumer choice for a truly affordable, high quality, low maintenance bike. I think Weiner has found a niche in the bicycle industry no one else has bothered to exploit. This middle ground offers a lot of growth possibilities for the future and with its launch, Priority Bicycles is just getting under way.

Details:

Priority Bicycle Features and Benefits:

Chain-free - Priority Bicycles do away with messy chains that ruin clothes and feature clean belt drives that’ll make your ride smooth. In 1984 Harley Davidson replaced their chains with belt drives, too. Why? Chains require lubrication, they rust, and are susceptible to the weather. Belt drives are more durable, more quiet, and cleaner.

Lightweight Aluminum Frame - Unlike conventional steel frames, Priority is made from strong, lightweight aluminum to make it easy to carry the bike up and down stairs. The aluminum is also rust-proof, making Priority perfect if you live near the beach or somewhere with rain or snow.

Super Comfy Saddle - Riding should be enjoyable, so your seat should never make you feel sore. Our saddle has two layers of foam to make sure you're always comfortable.

Upright Seating Position – Sore backs can be a byproduct of biking, but not with Priority. Our bikes are designed for upright seating to ensure you feel as good after the ride as you did before.

Theft Deterrent - We know you’ll fall in love with Priority, and we want to do anything we can to keep our bikes with their proud owners. By using bolts instead of quick releases, Priority makes it more difficult for thieves to disassemble parts. You'll still have to lock up your bike, but bolts are a precaution Priority has taken to make theft more difficult.

Puncture Resistant Tires - It’s the little details that make riding Priority easy. We're not saying you'll never get a flat, but those thorns and glass have to work a lot harder to ruin your ride.

Easy to Assemble - Once your bike arrives, nothing stands between you and the open roads except a simple four-step, five minute assembly process that requires no previous technical bike knowledge.

Everything You Need - Priority Bicycles are designed to get you on the road quickly and easily. When you purchase a bike, everything you need is included, from a tire pump and assembly tools, to a kickstand to a water bottle cage.

General Philosophy:

Gears and Brakes

Most bicycles under $500 come with 1 gear or 7+ gears. For most people, this is either not enough options, or way too many. We make it easy by providing three gears; while most of the day you'll be in gear two, you can gain speed in gear three, or taking it easy and go up hills in gear one. Our internally geared hub can also go thousands of miles with no maintenance, as opposed to traditional derailleurs, which need maintenance every year.

Remember a foot brake from when you were a kid? You probably would slam back on the foot brake to try and make skid marks. Fast forward to today and the foot brake in our three speed hub is very advanced, bringing you to a quick and safe stop. Pedal forward to go and backwards to stop, our bicycle is easy, safe and reliable.


Will be offered in four frame sizes - XS-L. Two sizes in a diamond frame and two sizes in a step in frame. Nicely executed concept! We'll see if it ships in December. I'd like to wish Priority Bicycles success!

DorkDisk

So its a 3 speed belt drive, whats so novel about that? If they cant get the shifter cable length right, what else did they miss? The marketing BS sounds like a bad infomercial. One speed too little, 7 speeds too much, 3 speeds just right -whatever.

NormanF

Nothing! I like their KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid, philosophy. Many bikes are complicated and cost too much and for many buyers, there are just too many options. The marketing aside - going back to the basics of an affordable, practicable and reliable bike is the right way to go. And that's what most people want. I think this is a project that should get them in the market.

practical

It's really a comfort/cruiser bike, no? I know there are no standard definitions of the various and many bike categories today, but this bike (as good as it may be), doesn't fit the idea of a hybrid - a bike that can be easily customized to go on wooded trails, back roads, pavement and city streets. I think it could really fit a biking demographic, but calling a hybrid will miss the target audience.

NormanF

It has 35 c fast rolling tires, a hybrid geometry and an upright riding position.

Why wouldn't it be called a hybrid? It looks like a versatile fitness hybrid bike to me. According to the site, the bike weight is 25 lbs. Not too bad even with an IGH hub and that's where you have most of the weight.

Its much lighter and faster than your old English All Steel three speed bicycle.

RoadTire 

It's the marketing spin and lies that always bother me, especially with Kickstarter. Theft deterrent bolt on wheels? With a quick release seat?

NormanF

Better picture:

NormanF

They have a website:

Priority Bicycles





Not to every one's taste. But I really like it!

VTBike

I'm curious to see how well this turns out. It seems like a good idea for flat urban or beach riding. I could do without the color of the wheels, though.

NormanF

Or in-town riding. Most belt drive bikes are expensive. If they can build it for $400 with clean, simple lines - sign me up!

DorkDisk

Id take a 60s electro-forged Schwinn with a 3sp Sturmey over this any day.

NormanF

Having seen the video, its brilliant! Its the way I would have designed a city bike. Just something for fun to pootle around on and waste a good afternoon.

Vexxer

Sounds like it will be a little over priced...

NormanF

At $400, its a good deal for a belt-driven bike. Dave Weiner, who is the CEO of Priority Bicycles used to work for Giant as a mechanic. He's done a good deal of product testing and his credentials are legit. By cutting out high priced middlemen, the company can sell a lot of bikes to recreational riders. This bike is not aimed at enthusiasts but to people who want to ride and don't care about a tricked out bike.

NormanF

It has bolts for the seat and wheels. Makes a lot of sense when you stop to think about it. If thieves have to work to steal parts off your bike, they'll look for easier pickings. And this is a legit brand new bike company with the head guy who worked for many years in the bike industry. Sure there is marketing spin here but the concept of a high quality bike at an affordable price is what a lot of people - that is recreational riders would like to have but until now they couldn't buy a nice bike on a budget. Of course its a beginner bike but that's exactly the point. Not every one wants to race for a living and being able to buy a nice bike for not a lot of money that simply works is an idea whose time had come. That's not insulting any one's intelligence.

And when you're ready to buy a more expensive and capable bike from a bike shop, that will still be possible.

oot

Hmmmmmm.No Front brake!!!No mention of a trust account to put all the good peoples money into??If the operation goes belly up,guess who the unsecured creditors are.

RoadTire 

My error - looked like a quick release lever on the side of the seat post. But still, quick release to drop the front wheel to fit in a car, or just for changing a flat w/o having to carry wrenches. Cables go around the wheels and through the frame.

I do like the idea of a clean, inexpensive bicycle for the masses, and this might be a good contender. But the marketing spin is built on a foundation of half-truths at best, and that just tweaks my waddles.

NormanF

Launching a new company is always a risk. The people behind Priority Bicycles want to test the waters and see how much interest there is in a mid-priced bike. If it doesn't work out, then its not meant to be.

You can install a front brake if you want on the bike but if you have a good foot brake, that's usually all you need to stop the bike.

NormanF

A bike shop could install QR if its desired. I agree marketing spin has a lot of fluff and I guess we'll know by the end of the year if this is just a teaser or the company is actually going to sell them off its website.

VTBike

NormanF, based upon your knowledge, you seem to have some connection to the operation. Whether it's just via a friendship or something more formal, is this true?

oot

You can install a front brake if you want on the bike but if you have a good foot brake, that's usually all you need to stop the bike.[/QUOTE]

My first car was of 1962 vintage.It didn't have seat belts,airbags,disc brakes,etc.Today I wouldn't buy a new car without them.It's all
about safety.Don't quote me but 80-100% of braking is done with the front brake.You have to be prepared for what the idiots are likely
to do,so stopping quickly is a necessity.

Ozonation

If it supposed to be a commuter/recreational bike... should it not have fenders as standard to keep the water and grit off of the rider? A built in light? If Priority is appealing to the practical ethos, I would think those should be standard items.

I'm not personally convinced that this would get me much more ahead then visiting my local LBS and ordering a commuter oriented bike for just a little more; then again, I suspect Priority Bikes is probably not geared for those who are regulars on these forums! Still... more power to them!

NormanF

No, I don't. I just report and you decide. There is no connection between me and the company; you can rest assured I don't represent them.

NormanF

They're accessories. They can be added if you want really want to build a commuter bike. The idea is people can buy a bare bones bike for cheap and outfit it the way they like it. After all, the idea is to offer a high quality beginner bike at an affordable price and if you keep adding things - well then the cost would get out of hand fast. You're right, this bike isn't meant for enthusiast users on our forums here. Like I said in the thread title, its a hybrid bike for the masses. They just want easy to use transportation and a bike they can put together themselves to ride. That's exactly what its all about.

Ozonation

Very true, and I hope they succeed. I would not by any stretch call myself a hardcore cyclist - I'd say "enthusiast" is a better word! And I like shiny things. But I think bikes really are misunderstood these days, and more power to Priority for offering choice.

A new LBS opened up in my city about 18 months ago specializing in urban cycling, and have they ever proven popular! I think people have realized that biking can be simple and practical. There's nothing wrong with spandex and a $5000 carbon fiber bike... but I suspect that's not what the regular person wants. I recall at another LBS while I waiting... a middle aged, somewhat portly gentleman walks in and discloses he hasn't ridden in about 20 years... and next thing I know, he's trying out a $1000+ flat bar road bike. I don't want to be elitist and hey, I'm as guilty as anybody else for wanting to "buy the best", but somehow, I don't think the bike was a good match given his needs or even wants.