Archive for the ‘Cool Bikes’ Category
Three Well-Priced Urban Bike Sources
People often ask me where they can find a good, cheap bike. The answer to that question is always subjective, because there are so many types of bicycles as well as so many different types of riding. When I ask what kind of bike they are looking for, the typical answer is, “Well, I’d like something that I can ride around my neighborhood or town, but I’d like to be able to take it off-road as well.”
I believe the reason for this reply is because they haven’t been on a bike for a while and aren’t sure what type of riding they will feel most comfortable doing. Until they can figure that out, these folks typically want a bike that can do everything. Finding that bike is quite a challenge. I am more than happy to help out because I’m glad to hear that folks still have that spark to ride a bike.
I try to steer new people in the direction of something more universal and recommend getting a simple bike that can get them from point A to point B.
I also try to steer them away from discount store bikes. I love Target and Walmart type stores for many things, but not for their bicycles – which are, typically, badly made from poor materials. That being said, if that’s your only option, then go for it. Any bike is better than no bike.
My next recommendation is to check out their local bike shops. There is no better place to find quality bikes, built and maintained by skilled bike professionals, than at your local bike shop. Occasionally, you’ll find a bike at a great price. Plus, it’s always good to support your local shops.
But, even that isn’t the right fit for some folks. This brings me to the point of this post – to showcase some different sources for some well-priced bikes found online. I decided to focus on “Urban” utility bikes to articulate that there are nice, alternative solutions that look good and won’t break the bank. Here are three companies that have done a great job at getting some attention in the blog and social networking circles:
Republic Bike:
Republic is a Florida based company who was one of the first to start offering customizable urban bikes at a really low price. From their site: “At Republic Bike, we decided to shake up familiar aesthetic conceits and expectations of what a bike should look like. In fact, we decided to leave it up to you. The only tools we offer here are those to let your creativity go for a ride. You pick, choose, swap and decide, and we’ll build it, box it, and ship it out. It’s a bike we design and build together. It’s built by us & you. (more) ” Early criticism pointed out the low quality steel used in their frames. Since then, they started offering some nice Chromoly solutions at a slightly higher price. They offer fixed gear/single speed models as well as Dutch inspired bikes with up to 3-speeds. Prices range from $399 to $499.
State Bicycle Company:
State is based in Arizona and also offers inexpensive urban bikes. Unlike Republic, State’s bikes aren’t as customizable. Their niche is offering bike models for a limited time before ‘retiring’ them. This gives you a chance to own a limited edition bike at a low price. From their site: “Our goal is to bring the most attractive, high quality, and smooth riding fixed gear/single speed bicycles to the market at the lowest price possible. We currently offer 13 different color combinations, 3 handlebar styles (bullhorns, riser bars, and drop bars), and 4 sizes (49cm, 52cm, 55cm, and 59cm). Each bicycle model that we offer is available for 3 months to a year before it is “retired” and we release newly designed models to replace it — when they’re gone, they’re gone. (more)” Keeping it simple, they offer basic components with one type of Chromoly frame model that is single speed. Price is $429 with free shipping.
Public Bikes:
Public is a San Francisco based company. Although higher in price, they offer up a wide variety of well-designed, European-inspired bikes. From their site: “We design and sell urban bikes, along with accessories to make riding more enjoyable, practical, and chic. Our European-inspired bikes ride like butter. They come in single and multi-speeds in all sizes. You can dress in casualor business attire, and wear pumps, tennis shoes, or flip flops – just about anything – while riding our bikes. And we have baskets, bags and other gear to go along with them. These bikes will make you feel like a kid again, and this is every bit as important as anything else. (more)” Unlike the more messenger/fixed gear type bikes featured by the other companies, Public offers more bikes that keep their riders upright and comfortable. They’re not as customizable, but provide great design that’s accessible with most budgets. Frames range in steel quality, with the Chromoly bikes at a higher price. You’ll find gearing options from 1 to 8-speed. Prices range from $550 to $995.
U.S. Pricing For Cooper Bikes
I’ve been following the release of Cooper Bikes, and now that they are available in the United States, I decided to do some digging to find out availability and pricing. So far, 4 models are available in the States, T100 Monza, T100 Sebring, T200 Championship 50 and T200 Reims. The only place that you can get one is Prestige of Mahwah, in New Jersey.
I’ve been trading emails with the folks at Prestige, and they are in the process of setting up a dealer network in the U.S. Hopefully, there will be one near us soon.
I’ve also been given prices. Given the fact that these are imported, ’boutique’ bikes, I wasn’t expecting anything cheep. With their reputation for high quality and attention to detail, Cooper is known to charge a premium for their products. These bikes are no exception:
T100 Monza $1175.00
Available: 52cm, 57cm, 61cm
T100 Sebring $1175.00
Available: 57cm, 61cm
T200 Championship 50 $1600.00
Available: 57cm
T200 Reims 5spd $1700.00
Available: 57cm, 61cm
Not actually, seeing or riding the bikes, I’m going to hold my judgement on these prices. Sure, there are several comparable bikes out there for a lot less. The Cooper Bikes, however, have been getting a lot of great press and are starting to develop a good following. I would personally pay this premium if the bike holds true to it’s brand reputation. Hopefully, I’ll be able to test ride one to find out.
You Can Get A Cooper Bike In The US
Being both a bicycle and MINI Cooper enthusiast, the Cooper Bike has become one of the many on my wish list. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been available in the US since it’s release a year ago. According to the Cooper Bikes site, there has been a US representative in New Jersey. Through email, I discovered that they were still expecting inventory. Bike pricing wasn’t available, but the quoted shipping price was very expensive. I decided to wait until one was available closer to me before pursuing it any more.
Now it looks like Cooper Bikes is making more of an effort to push it through the States. This blog post has made me optimistic about them eventually making it to north Texas. Perhaps I’ll see a Cooper Bike on my next MINI rally. Perhaps the excitement will be enough to encourage more distribution in the U.S.
Fingers crossed.
Madsen Rolls Out Updated Utility Bikes
I’m a big fan of the utility bike and even a bigger fan of Madsen Cycles. Today, they announced the release of their updated 2011 utility bikes. This version is based on feedback that they’ve gotten from current owners.
Here’s a gallery of the upgrades.
Here’s a video of the upgrades.
In The Mood For Some Utility
For some reason, utility bikes have captured my interest. Having a the ability to haul stuff around gives me a great alternative to taking the bike instead of the car.
Even though there are a bunch of great options out there, here are a couple of bikes on my radar lately.
The Only Reason I Like Yard Sales
I typically hate yard sales. Every time my wife sees a sign and calls it out, I usually pretend I don’t hear her until we miss the turn. It’s an ongoing joke, because she knows how much I loath the idea of spending my hard earned cash on somebody else’s junk. I’ve got plenty of my own junk. Sure, there’s the occasional gem, but those are too few and you have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat the yard sale pros. Well, I ran across one of those gems.
My neighbors were having a sale this weekend. As I was walking the dog, I noticed a pretty interesting bike parked out front. At first, I thought it would make a nice ride for my wife (to compliment her cruiser). But upon closer inspection, I noticed the size was a bit smaller. It was a 24″ Murray kid’s bike.
I wasn’t sure how old it was, but the styling was retro. My neighbor asked if I was interested and I replied with a question, “how much?” She said $20.
My first instinct was to decline. IF I were interested, it would be for my daughter – but I wasn’t sure if she would like it.
I finished walking the dog, jumped on my bike and did a small ride. When I arrived back home, my kids were finally awake. I told my daughter about the bike I had passed up and assumed that, by now, it had been sold to one of those yard sale pros – just minutes after me passing it up. For kicks, I popped my head out the front door to double check. Sure enough, it was still there.
She asked if we could take a closer look and I agreed. Seeing the fake leopard skin seat covers and cool purple paint, she immediately fell in love with it. As we were inspecting the bike closer, my neighbor walked up an gave me a newer price, $15. Still hesitant, I insisted that my daughter take a spin on it. She loved it and so we ended up taking it home.
It’s got some surface tarnish on the chrome, and it’s in major need of a tune-up. I can do most of it myself, but I will need to have a pro inspect and adjust the 3-speed drive train. My first step was to clean it up and get it rolling again, but eventually, I’ll replace the rubber and the pedals. Even if it doesn’t end up being a great bike, we’re only out $15.