Real Commuter Bikes Returning?

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?

Huzzah! Actually there's been much online discussion about utility cycling being a longterm future trend, with highend stuff either reaching saturation point or plateauing in it's public appeal. Personally, I always believed full SKS guards & heavy duty pannier racks were a fashion item. 😉

In article <[email hidden]>,

cfsmtb said:

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?

Huzzah! Actually there's been much online discussion about utility
cycling being a longterm future trend, with highend stuff either
reaching saturation point or plateauing in it's public appeal.
Personally, I always believed full SKS guards & heavy duty pannier
racks were a fashion item. 😉

The cost of high end bikes are just getting ridiculous, you can about
buy a motorized scooter with that kind of money, and not all that far
from a small car from Korea.

Yes, light weight economical commuter bikes would be most welcome for
many people.
--

Long overdue in the Australia bike market. Anyone who's been to Europe
and seen bikes and bike shops there would have seen the abundance of
features that make bikes useful. Mudgards, chain gaurds, racks for
panniers, integrated lights, comfortable seats etc. - The sort of
"bare-bones" mtbs sold here make it difficult to go to the shops or
work without carrying a pack on you back.

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?
The article below suggests that U.S.A. bikes are going that way.
Will Australia follow sometime later?

Link to full article:
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/10/08/business/stories_fr
om_ap/iq_3633024.txt
or
http://tinyurl.com/zc4ef

1st 2 paragraphs of article:
American bike makers eye commuter market with new models
By NANCY KEATES, The Wall Street Journal
Sunday, October 8, 2006 1:11 AM PDT

A radical idea is sweeping the world of American bicycle manufacturing:
building bikes that people will use for actual transportation.

After decades of pushing models designed for recreation, from
full-suspension mountain bikes to ever-faster road bikes, industry
heavyweights are now moving into commuters -- rugged specimens made for
riding to work. Nearly every major manufacturer has a new or revised
commuter model for 2007. They may look like 1940s Schwinns, but
materials like aluminum and carbon make the frames lighter, while
technological advances mean better brakes, shock-absorbing seats,
smoother shifters and even electric power. The models usually come with
practical accessories, like racks for carrying briefcases, fenders for
splash protection on wet roads, lights that turn on automatically at
dusk and big chain guards to keep legs and clothing away from chain
grease.

--
K.A. Moylan
Canberra, Australia
Ski Club: http://www.cccsc.asn.au
kamoylan at ozemail dot com dot au

In aus.bicycle on 11 Oct 2006 16:06:38 -0700

MWP said:

Long overdue in the Australia bike market. Anyone who's been to Europe
and seen bikes and bike shops there would have seen the abundance of
features that make bikes useful. Mudgards, chain gaurds, racks for
panniers, integrated lights, comfortable seats etc. - The sort of
"bare-bones" mtbs sold here make it difficult to go to the shops or
work without carrying a pack on you back.

When I bought the bent Ian if FlyingFurniture said "you'll probably want
mudguards and a rack with that". He didn't offer lighting though.

I definitely think more shops should be selling hub dynamos and the
"come on when it gets dark" front and rear lights.

I didn't think I'd use that ability of my lighting, but because you
don't have to think about it, it's great! If I see the front light's
on I reach back and flick on the flasher, but if I forget that the
rear light's on anyway.

The Shimano hub dynamo's way cheaper than my German one and not that
far behind in terms of drag and power. But how easy is it to sell a
commuter $300 or so of lighting that they can just forget compared to
$20 of LEDs needing AAA cells?

On Monday the bikes-without-lights quota was the highest I've seen.
Including two who, when I got into range, had front lights on the
bars. Just not turned on...

Zebee

Artoi said:

The cost of high end bikes are just getting ridiculous, you can about
buy a motorized scooter with that kind of money, and not all that far
from a small car from Korea.

Yes, light weight economical commuter bikes would be most welcome for
many people.
--

But at the same time the quality at the lower end of the market has improved considerably in the last few years.

Artoi said:

The cost of high end bikes are just getting ridiculous,

1) You are not required to buy a high end bicycle.
In fact, you are not even required to buy a bicycle.

you can about

Quoted message said:

buy a motorized scooter with that kind of money, and not all that far
from a small car from Korea.

Yes, light weight economical commuter bikes would be most welcome for
many people.

2) can it be made functional so i can carry the brief case, thermos,
sandos, etc and pick up some shopping on the way home.

Quoted message said:

--

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?
The article below suggests that U.S.A. bikes are going that way.
Will Australia follow sometime later?

<snip>

They had bikes like that in Australian Cyclist - last month
or something? Only they seemed really really expensive for
what they were, when you could get a fully rigid women's
style MTB for significantly less, and just add panniers,
chain guard, mudguard and a milk crate. Bingo! Step through
shopping bike.

Meanwhile, I overloaded my shopping bike yesterday and had
trouble walking it to the road (no weight on the front - I
need a basket). Getting on was a challenge but once she was
rolling, we were fine...

Tam

Those metal carry baskets in supermarkets make an ideal pannier basket.
They're wide enough to carry a small dog.

Tamyka Bell said:

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?
The article below suggests that U.S.A. bikes are going that way.
Will Australia follow sometime later?

<snip>

They had bikes like that in Australian Cyclist - last month
or something? Only they seemed really really expensive for
what they were, when you could get a fully rigid women's
style MTB for significantly less, and just add panniers,
chain guard, mudguard and a milk crate. Bingo! Step through
shopping bike.

Meanwhile, I overloaded my shopping bike yesterday and had
trouble walking it to the road (no weight on the front - I
need a basket). Getting on was a challenge but once she was
rolling, we were fine...

Tam

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

cfsmtb said:

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?

Huzzah! Actually there's been much online discussion about utility
cycling being a longterm future trend, with highend stuff either
reaching saturation point or plateauing in it's public appeal.
Personally, I always believed full SKS guards & heavy duty pannier
racks were a fashion item. 😉

The cost of high end bikes are just getting ridiculous, you can about
buy a motorized scooter with that kind of money, and not all that far
from a small car from Korea.

The cost of high end cars is ridiculous, you can buy a *HOUSE* for what
some cars cost.

What this has to do with generic commuter bikes, good examples of which
can be had for less than $500, I'm unable to see?

MWP said:

Those metal carry baskets in supermarkets make an ideal pannier
basket. They're wide enough to carry a small dog.

Your supermarket sells small dogs?
What do they taste like and do you roast or fry them?

Theo

K.A. Moylan said:

Dreaming of a commuter bike that comes out of the store being practical?
The article below suggests that U.S.A. bikes are going that way.
Will Australia follow sometime later?

Australia already has many options for transport bicycles. My LBS sells racks, panniers, baskets etc by the bucket load.

A decent commuter bike does not mean that it has be a flat bar step through. My Trek 1200 supports rack and panniers just fine, with 30kms each way I shower and change at my destination so mudguards etc aren't necessary for me.

Reading through the article it's clear that the author doesn't know much about bikes. Unless you're going offroad tread on a tire does nothing except REDUCE traction, so I can't see any advantage in ``lightly treaded tires.'' As for comfortable handlebars the only time I use anything other than drop bars is on a mountain bike because drop bars are the most versatile.

You've just gotta think a bit and buy the bike that's right for you. Nothing new here, nothing at all. It's all just marketing and spin.

EuanB said:

You've just gotta think a bit and buy the bike that's right for you. Nothing new here, nothing at all. It's all just marketing and spin.

Read much bike industry stuff? The emphasis from what I read is still on tech, racing, bike p0rn. Possibly some this does filter down to the mass market, as what happened with tech developments after WW2 and the space race, but there's still a emphasis upon highend, the "ship units" mentality etc. But then again, try informing some LBS employees about utility cycling, who then still insist selling inappropriate gear to naive but well-intending cyclists.

cfsmtb said:

EuanB said:

You've just gotta think a bit and buy the bike that's right for you.
Nothing new here, nothing at all. It's all just marketing and spin.

Read much bike industry stuff?

Oddly enough, some people here do 🙂

Quoted message said:

The emphasis from what I read is still
on tech, racing, bike p0rn.

That's the sexy stuff. Of course it gets the press. You don't see
a writeup on Trek 3700's much, but that's our biggest seller. It costs
$349 RRP. It's an Al Alloy frame, decent quality Shimano 21sp, decent
wheels, lifetime frame warranty, drilled & ready for racks, mudguards
etc. Apart from not having a dynamo hub, what could be more practical?
You can fit it out into a good ute bike with pannier racks, mudguards
and so on for less than $500. Hybrids are around the same price, maybe
a touch more. The Trek 7000 is about $499 I think from memory, to make
it into a ute you'd be looking at around $650 or so I'd guess, fully
kitted out. Other brands are around the same price. It's bloody cheap
for what it is.

The press reports on new things that glitter made from exotica, but
that's not the bread and butter of a suburban LBS and we all know this.

Quoted message said:

Possibly some this does filter down to the
mass market, as what happened with tech developments after WW2 and the
space race, but there's still a emphasis upon highend, the "ship units"
mentality etc. But then again, try informing some LBS employees about
utility cycling, who then still insist selling inappropriate gear to
naive but well-intending cyclists.

I can't comment on the experiences you or anyone else has with the
shops you've been into, but I can say with some certainly that the
utility bikes of which this thread is based on, don't sell very well.
You can buy them, we've carried them (in deep suburbia no less), we can
get them, they don't sell. People don't ask for them. We have a
utility trike in the shop at the moment that has been testridden *once*
(and that was by my mum!). Websites that sell them (eg the India bikes
etc) simply don't sell bikes. One of my clients (IT) hosted a site
that sold them, it went down the gurgler. They *don't* sell here. We
do all sorts of custom bikes for people that want to ride with all
sorts of disabilites, needs to carry stuff etc, but it's a tiny, tiny
market. Maybe one every 3-6 months?

Blaming this on the bike industry is just plain stupid. If there was a
market for them that was big enough to make them viable, they'd be sold
here, but while cars, petrol and parking is cheap, there's just no
market for it except for the loony fringe (and I count myself as part
of that loony fringe, I ride my bikes to the shops etc - I have an old
dunger girls MTB that I take shopping these days, I'm building up a
trailer to tow my trackbike to the velodrone, I am one of the loonies
that wants to ride everywhere)

If anyone here thinks there's a market for these 'real commuter bikes'
(whatever that may be according to your personal viewpoint), put your
money where your mouth is, and start importing them from Holland or
China or wherever. I for one will cheer you on and wish you good
fortune.

Bleve said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

...We have a utility trike in the shop at the moment that has been testridden *once*...

<snip>

Oooh, there's one of those in my LBS. I want it. And the
itty bitty kiddy track bike too!

Tam

Bleve said:

Blaming this on the bike industry is just plain stupid.

The discussion is regarding a observation about a potential market trend, not attributing blame on the bicycle industry.

Bleve said:

That's the sexy stuff. Of course it gets the press. You don't see
a writeup on Trek 3700's much, but that's our biggest seller. It costs
$349 RRP. It's an Al Alloy frame, decent quality Shimano 21sp, decent
wheels, lifetime frame warranty, drilled & ready for racks, mudguards
etc. Apart from not having a dynamo hub, what could be more practical?

.

The 3700 seems the way to go. Lifetime warranty on the frame, well my avanti is in for a broken frame repair at Paconi cycles at present, Avanti only provide 5 years warranty on the frame. From now on I will only buy bikes that have lifetime frame warrantys. Trek, Cannondale anyone else?

Dancier said:

The 3700 seems the way to go. Lifetime warranty on the frame, well my avanti is in for a broken frame repair at Paconi cycles at present, Avanti only provide 5 years warranty on the frame. From now on I will only buy bikes that have lifetime frame warrantys. Trek, Cannondale anyone else?

Specialized.

Read much stuff from any industry?

Everyone talks about the latest and greatest highest performance/technology equipment available. Because it is interesting and makes people go oohhh ahhh. Occassionally we see an article about a simple solution that gets the job done.

I people are serious about a commuter then they will build what they specifically need from the myriad of components available in the market place.

To spend a thousand dollars + on a commuter is not excessive if you are serious about it.

Also if it wasn't for the top end of the market striving for higher performance and better products then the bottom of the market would have no where near the quality it has today.

EuanB said:

Specialized.

Even better: Kona Dew.

BSC were doing a pretty good package that included lights, helmet, lock and accessories.