Given what I do with a bike, I'm thinking I might want a Trek Lime Shopping or a Gary Fisher Simple City model. But I don't know when they'll be out; obviously, I can't wait that long. Anyone have any scoop?
« OIl, oil toil and trouble | Main | Feature, or bug? » Bleg II06 Dec 2007 05:48 pm Comments (18)
Hope you're ready for the Wizard of Oz jokes... 
That Simple City porteur bike (the one with the front basket) is indeed a beauty. I'm glad to see Trek coming out with practical work bikes. If that's the kind of bike you want, you should also take a good look at the Breezer line of bikes, which are available now.
uh, oh, Megan is enamoured with teh pretteh... They look alright, although how you are going to carry a "lady" style frame may be a problem... the bigger one may be size. According to their specs the lady framse only come in small and medium... and as a guess, you, my statuesque friend, need more than that. I would suggest you really go into a large showroom and just look around, so that yo can ride and feel it right there... also, $600 for a 3 speed w/ coaster brake? Seems a bit much...
It'd be worth giving Revolution Cycles a call. They're one of (close to the) largest Trek dealers in the country. They are 4 locations in the DC area.
These sure are pretty bikes. Unfortunately, they are also pretty darn attractive to a thief. If you are going to park you bike outside in DC, with any frequency, its going to get stolen. More so if its shiny and new. I'd consider getting something second hand. You can get some great stuff on Craigslist for $50-$100.
MM, You never did make w/ the details of your old lock that allowed your search for a replacement bike.. http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-101597.html
Check out Jorg & Olif. These are good Dutch-style city bikes.
Second the Breezer and dutch bike recommendations, as they are readily available right now. You'll probably like the dutch bikes better as they are much more attractive. But these are all likely to be on the heavy side (as is the GF), so make sure you pick one up and contemplate carrying it up a few flights of stairs before you buy. In my opinion, as long as you forego the girl-bike/mixte route (which you probably should, unless you absolutely have to ride in a skirt), even a very heavy bike can be carried rather comfortably just by slinging the top tube over your shoulder. If you like that GF bike, you might want to check out the Kogswell PR, which as far as I can tell is largely responsible for the current Porteur revival. I don't think it comes with a rack, though.
The Kogswell is a beautiful, well-designed bike, but it's an enthusiast's bike. It's $450 for the frame alone, more than, I guess, Megan would want to pay. It has the nonstandard 650B tire size; someone like Megan, who just wants to ride her bike, would be ill-served with a bike whose tires are not readily available.
I mostly agree. Though it seems to me that someone who rides as much as Megan might very well qualify as an enthusiast, and might want to start thinking of herself as such. People who spend a lot of time on their bikes should have nice bikes. And really, as a 650B (not Kogswell) owner, I haven't had any problems finding tires.
Matt, I'm pretty sure I know exactly which curmudgeon designed your bike, and when I say I've got two Rivendell bikes, you'll realize that we're mostly on the same page. But most bike shops Megan would walk into don't sell 650B tires. That wouldn't matter for someone like you or me; I keep a stash of tires, and you probably do too. But Megan probably won't do that, so she should pick a tire size that's readily available.
The Atlantic has now become My Wish List to Santa.
The theft thing is a problem; but my problem is that everyone in DC seems to be short, so bikes in my size are hard to find on Craigslist. That's why I want to be able to carry it upstairs. I *do* ride in a skirt, but there is, AFAICT, no such thing as a lady's bike for a 6'2 woman, so I ride men's models. (Too bad, as the Lime women's colors are adorable . . . ) Instead, I wear short skirts, opaque tights, and rock the rear dismount. The lock I had was a solid Kryptonite one--one of the new ones, not one of the old kind that could be sprung with a bic pen. I have no idea how it was picked, but given that they left the lock, and I locked *something* to the post, they clearly managed. Also, I've had bikes stolen before, and I'm always super-careful about locking the front wheel *and* the frame to the post.
Jorg and Olif sells a step-through ("women's") bicycle for tall people, $545 Canadian or $545 US (such a deal). And if you happen to come into an inheritance or acquire a sugar daddy, there is the absolutely beautiful Rivendell Glorius, at $1500 for the frame or $2500 for the complete bike.
Given you've already lost one bike in DC to our tireless thieves, I recommend getting a Dahon. They're the perfect commuter bikes IMHO. I've got a Speed and have happily ridden it all over NYC and DC.
well Megan when you put it that way... maybe you can find an older man's bike soewhere along the way... There are probably dozens of us that write who would do that for you if you asked... and then get it built and/or painted. West Coast Megan had hers made up and painted, and it looks smashing: and you could come up with any colour scheme you liked... From The Archives, about halfway down the page...
The solution is to have a Portland, Oregon based custom framebuilder make you a city bike that fits your body exactly. Look at this handcrafted work of art: http://www.vanillabicycles.com/frames/commuter/2/ Only a two year waiting list! Natalie at Sweetpea Bicycles specializes in women's bikes and has mad skills with the welding torch. http://www.sweetpeabicycles.com/blog/bikes/farmers-market/ Seriously, though? Fenders are a tremendously effective anti-theft device, and they add functionality, too. I suppose the tweakers are repelled by the dork factor. Buy a used bike that fits, add fenders and a goofy bell to complete the ensemble, and whee! the fun begins.
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seems that the Trek Lime Shopping isn't even discussed on Trek dealer's website..(to be released later)
the 8-speed GF Simple City w/ rack seems to be expected in mid-January at price point in the ~DCCC range..
info per 1 source, http://genesisbicycles.com/
also, the GF 'high-bar' seems to have a 23 1/2 inch frame..
Posted by MEH | December 6, 2007 6:56 PM