Frills or Basics?

In the comments of recent posts there has been some interesting discussion about spending money on bicycles and accessories. I am not going to delve into some of the more existential issues raised, but one theme I found funny was the difference in our willingness to spend money on bikes versus accessories. Some are willing to spend a hefty sum on a bicycle, but don't really go for fancy components or accessories beyond the basics. Others would never spend more than several hundred dollars on a bike, but are perfectly happy to pay for component upgrades and fancy luggage.

My personal bias falls toward the former. If I have a set budget and I am building up a bicycle from scratch, I am liable to spring for the nicest frame I can manage and then settle for inexpensive components until I can afford better ones. Or else just buy the frame alone, then wait another year while I save up for the rest. And while I know that components can influence ride quality as much as the frame, I just can't help but place more importance on the latter. The frame is the key in defining the bike for me, while  components can always be replaced if need be. But I realise that not everyone feels that way. In Boston I sometimes see things like a Surly frame with Phil Wood hubs, or a Linus bike with a limited edition Brooks saddle and grips, and it's always mystified me - those things cost more than the rest of the bike! One woman's told me that she finds it more interesting to spend money on components and accessories, because there is a great deal of choice and it feels playful. A frame, on the other hand, is "just there" - kind of a boring part of the bike unless one is especially interested in geometry and frame design. Okay, I sort of understand that take on it. But I definitely can't relate!

Do you tend to splurge on the frills or the basics? Or do you opt for the sensible middle-ground?

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European City Bikes and the North American Market

BMX Bad Boys can't resist cargo bike

Most of the city bicycles discussed on this blog happen to be European imports - simply because for the moment, there are not many North American manufacturers offering ready-made options of the same caliber. Readers sometimes ask me to address how the whole European city bike "scene" works, and so I took the opportunity to discuss this with the manufacturer representatives, distributors, and bike shop owners I met at Interbike. The text below reflects my understanding of the industry based on these conversations and my own prior experiences, and neither quotes nor paraphrases any specific persons unless noted otherwise.

Will of BoxCycles and Josh of Portland Velocipede 

How are European bikes imported and sold in North America?
Typically, a European manufacturer will sell bicycles in N. America through a distributor. The distributor imports the bicycles in batches at wholesale prices, then sells them to bicycle shops throughout the region. Some distributors specialise in a single manufacturer, while others represent a variety of brands. Distributors exist, because it is often not possible for individual bike shops to commit to large enough orders from the manufacturer directly to justify the shipping and import costs. It is also quite time consuming to form relationships, negotiate prices, and navigate currency exchange rate changes with manufacturers in the EU, and bike shops tend to have their hands full with a million other things. So the distributor takes care of this and enables bike shops to place small orders. Where it gets a little more complicated, is that some entities are both bike shops and distributors, but the above describes the gist of it in the majority of cases.

Sussi of Biomega with Boston-based Distributor

Can I buy a bike directly from a European manufacturer?
Possibly, especially if it's a small manufacturer. But to buy a single bike in this manner is painfully expensive. Manufacturers are typically committed to using specific shipping methods (which include the services of a broker), and it can cost as much as $400 once you are done paying customs and broker fees to deliver the bicycle to an American address - and this will be on top of the retail price they will charge you, since you will not be buying wholesale. If the bicycle you want is not sold in North America, you are better off finding a retailer abroad who sells it and buying it from them, as they are more likely to use standard international shipping methods.

Adrian of Pashley Cycles and Chris of AdventureCORPS

Can I buy a bike directly from a distributor?
If a bicycle is not sold in your local bike shops but there is a North American distributor for it, they will usually be willing to sell it to you directly - albeit at retail prices. This means that it will cost you the same to buy the bike from the distributor as it would to buy it from a bike shop in another part of the country - so it really becomes a matter of shipping costs. If the distributor is closer to you, then it's a good idea to go through them as shipping will be cheaper. Otherwise, it makes more sense to find the nearest bike shop that carries this bicycle and order from them.

Julie of Adeline Adeline and Josef of Flying Pigeon LA

Why are the bikes more expensive here than in Europe?
Importing European city bikes is costly, because it is still a specialty item in North America and even at the distributor level the orders are not huge. The orders are not huge also because many of the manufacturers are small and can only produce so much volume at a time. So all these costs of import tax, currency conversions, shipping, broker fees, dealer markups, etc., get divided over a relatively small number of bikes, which reflects in the retail prices.

Do bike shops make large profits on bicycle sales?
I am not sure whether I am "allowed" to reveal actual numbers, but the markup for the bicycles themselves is eyebrow-raisingly small. Most of the money is made on accessories and components, where the markup is considerably higher. This is counterintuitive for most shoppers and I myself was surprised to learn it, but that's indeed how it is. It is particularly true for bikes that are handmade in the EU, which are costlier to produce and leave little room for markups without the retail price becoming ridiculous.

Jordan of Bicycle Space DC

How can I get my local bike shop to carry European city bikes?
Try talking to them about it. Seriously, give it a try and tell your friends to do so as well. Look up the distributor for the manufacturer whose bike you'd like to try, and give the bike shop owner their contact information. Especially if it's a small bike shop and if the distributor's terms are favourable (small minimal order, etc.), they might be willing to give it a go if customers seem interested. The distributor may even be willing to bring over a floor model to the bike shop and leave it there for a few days to see how customers react. It all depends on the human factor - i.e. the attitudes of the distributor and the bike shop owner, and the enthusiastic persuasiveness of the customer. If there is evidence of local demand, few bike shops will ignore it.

The staff of CleverCycles and AdelineAdeline

So how is it going?
Though in 2008-2009 some worried that the budding interest in European city bikes could be a passing fad, demand has been rising steadily - as is evident by the increasing number of specialty shops popping up across North America. Mind you, it hasn't been perfect. Some distributors have gone out of business and new ones have sprung up. Some manufacturers have become infamous for quality control issues and bike shop employees roll their eyes when those brands are mentioned. Some customers who purchased bikes in the early days were ultimately unhappy with the weight or limited gearing, and a second-hand market has emerged. But over time more options have become available - from heavy-duty to lighter weight bicycles - and both customers and dealers have grown more informed about the nuances of the different types of bikes. There is more of an effort to match up the right owner with the right bike, as opposed to a "Dutch bikes for everyone/ heavy is good!" sort of attitude. Models with hill-friendly gearing options and more varied colour schemes have appeared due to popular demand as well. Some bike shops even get special editions of bicycles made to suit their customer base - such as the Pilen Portlandia, made especially for CleverCycles.

Small world, reciprocal influence
In general, the world of classic European city bicycles is quite small - a virtual village, as it were - and this allows for a great deal of feedback and even influence on the part of customers and bike shops. Shortly after I bemoaned Gazelle's fall to the unicrown fork, I was informed by Josh Boisclair of My Dutch Bike that Gazelle will be switching back to the cast crown fork as a result of North American dealer pressure. Seriously? That's great news, and more than a little funny. The Americans want their Dutch bikes traditional! Fascinating that there is enough of a market here now for customers' and dealers' voices to matter.

See more of the faces behind your favourite bike shops and brands here and here!

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Thoughts on Fixed Gear Cranksets?

I am guessing you would welcome a break from Interbike at this point, so I am going to take advantage of that by asking for advice. Just in time for the cold season, I finally have a dedicated fixed gear frame to replace my Moser conversion. I will tell you about the new frame later, as it's part of a larger story. But suffice to say I have it and it's nice. My plan was to simply move all the parts from the Moser onto this frame. The parts are rather plain and cheap-ish, but they will do for now and maybe in a year I will upgrade to something fabulous and Phil Woodsy. But the one thing I forgot is that the crankset I have on the Moser (Sugino RD2) has the wrong length cranks for the new frame. The Moser had a low bottom bracket, so the cranks I have on it are 165mm, but the new frame has a high bottom bracket and I want to use 170mm. So I need a new one and therein lies my dilemma: I am clueless about single speed cranksets.

For example, one option would be to just buy another inexpensive Sugino RD2. However, I am told that this is ultimately an iffy idea for a fixed gear roadbike, because it's not made for a track chain. Also, if I do plan to upgrade the components, it doesn't make sense to buy cranksets twice - maybe I should get the nicer version already.

And the "nicer version" is apparently the Sugino 75. It is a Keirin-approved track crankset and is extremely expensive. Why I need it, I couldn't tell you - since my fixed gear frame is not a track frame and I won't be racing on it. Even in terms of aesthetics I don't find it all that spectacular. A friend might have one to sell secondhand, in which case it may be worth it - but otherwise I don't get the appeal of the Sugino 75 for non-racers.

image via antbike

There are also the American made cranksets, such as this one by White Industries. Expensive, but less so than the Sugino 75. And while beautiful in its own right, I can't decide whether it will look right on my frame - the design seems a bit busy.

image via Winter Bicycle

The Paul's "circles" crankset is simpler, but part of me thinks it should go on a bike with Paul's  drop-outs, which mine does not have. Is that silly?

It is also worth noting that the "nice" cranksets call for equally "nice" bottom brackets, so the real price differential between these options and the Sugino RD2 set-up is even greater than it seems initially.

Of course my ideal scenario would be not to go with any of these, but to find a beautiful vintage Campagnolo Pista crankset - for a miraculously low price, of course, and with just the right length cranks. No such luck though, after months of looking.

So, dear readers: Any thoughts? What is your preferred crankset for a fixed gear roadbike and why? My frame is lugged and fairly lightweight and I'd like the crankset to look classic. The bike is not for the track, so all the debates about tiny differences in stiffness are not really relevant. Beyond that, I have no idea. Help?

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From Holsters to Corsets: The Cycling Accessory Fetish

Entering the Brooks booth at Interbike was an experience that I can only describe as "trippy." Not only did I feel as if I'd stepped into a Skittles commercial - or at least a Brooks + Skittles "collabo" (Ride the Rainbow...), but I was seeing objects that, at first glance, distinctly resembled gun holsters - in a variety of lollypop shades.

Upon a closer look it became apparent that these were in fact tiny handbags shaped like Brooks saddles. The representative cheerfully explained that Brooks had the idea to make leather saddle covers to class up bikes that came with plastic saddles. But the project did not work, so they turned the would-be saddle covers into handbags - and thus we have the Victoria bag. 

I am not sure what I have a harder time imagining - someone buying a leather cover for their plastic saddle, or someone carrying a neon leather saddle-shaped purse. And while at first I thought the gun holster comparison was just in my head, I soon heard others voice the same sentiment as they walked by the display. What do you think, would this match your work outfit?

And lest you be wearing trousers on a bike with no chaincase, a leather strap in a matching shade could be just the thing.

As long as it all matched your handlebar tape. And your apple-green saddle.

Of course if you're not a fan of colourful accessories, Brooks offers the subdued "paratrooper" look in tasteful shades of gray and beige.

Okay, I really don't mean to tease Brooks so much. They had "normal" stuff too, like their regular line of saddles, a promising rain cape and their new city leather grips (which I would buy if they didn't have those cold metal sections at the ends). But something just felt a little off about their booth - as if they were on the verge of losing perspective.

Taking the classic route to fetish-appeal, Klean Kanteen draped itself in caramel leather, for a look suggesting vintage flasks. I like it. But the one problem I see with this, is that the outside of these bottles tends to always get wet and the leather is bound to get discoloured and misshapen as a result over time - something that does not happen with shellacked twine, because the shellac waterproofs it.

This particular Klean Kanteen had a wooden inlay on the lid with a Brompton logo on it, and may have been a limited edition model made especially for Brompton bicycles.

Sculptural bicycle pumps from Lezyne in stainless steel and wood. People couldn't stop touching them, running their hands against the surface.

A bicycle pump that makes you want to use it by appealing to your sense of touch? Okay, I admit I want these. You got to me, Lezyne.

Po Campo's new "self-referetial" print is really too lighthearted to be truly fetishistic, but deserves a mention. Obsessed with bicycles? What a better way to show it than to get a bicycle bag with pictures of, well, bicycles on it. Should leave no doubt as to your love of cycling.

Alternatively, you could opt for the new Logan Tote - a pannier shaped like a dainty doctor's bag and designed to carry anything from diapers and formula bottles to camera equipment and the i-Pad. The myriad of belts and buckles that come with Po-Campo bags contribute to the visual curiosity factor, particularly when a tiny bag ends up capable of securing things like heavy jackets and yoga mats.

The Brompton "Oratory" cycling jacket has gotten both praise and slack in the press for being useful/ unnecessary (pick one), sparking debate as to whether urban cycling-specific designs overcomplicate matters and undermine the whole idea of being able to ride in regular clothing.

Not sure where I stand on that issue, but regardless - the Brompton jacket has a number of fine details that appealing regardless of whether one even needs a jacket at all.

The jacket is corduroy, with a wicking bamboo lining depicting a drawing of the Brompton Oratory by English graffiti artist, Kid Acne (Get it? Graffiti for an urban jacket? Graffiti of a building instead of on a building? Oh the cleverness of it!..).

But no tale of accessory fetishism is complete without a visit with Berthoud. I have an odd relationship with Berthoud bags, in that I tend to lose my mind when I see them - especially several in the same place at the same time. The shades of gray fabric and caramel leather are just right, the straps are perfectly proportioned... But when it comes down to it, I cannot bring myself to actually buy one of the bags. It's not just the price, but something about the look would make me self-conscious to have it on my own bike.

A case of being too perfect? Maybe!

And then there are the panniers. These are available in many sizes and use the R&K Klick-fix system, which I love. But I can't get over the "corset" look of the side expansions - which, although obviously purpose-driven, to me seem to be the ultimate symbol of our tendency to fetishise bicycle accessories. It's not a bad thing per se, if it makes us happy and makes us ride our bikes more. But we each have different comfort levels. I'll go for leather, wood and twine, but will stop short of holsters and corsetry.

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Yeah Baby! Transportational Elegance Reigns at Interbike 2011

As I was setting off for Las Vegas, those who'd been to Interbike before warned me that 90% of what I'd see there would be completely irrelevant: that the road, mountain bike and BMX industries would rule the floor, with city bikes and classic bicycles making up a tiny fraction of the offerings. So what surprised me the most about my first Interbike, was that this was far from the case. The upright, step-through city bike was downright ubiquitous: From exclusive European makers such as Cicli Montante (above) to mainstream giants such as Trek (see my post about their "Dutch bike" here), it seemed that anyone who is anyone had one on offer.

I start with the Italian Cicli Montante, because it's companies like theirs that really set the pace. Montante city bicycles are unapologetically opulent, bombastically over the top - and I think it's good for the industry to have a manufacturer who is willing to exhibit such showmanship and attention to detail.

Old school touches such as newspaper racks, satchel-style panniers and leather-shod rod brake levers are victoriously exhibited with little concern for weight reduction.

Every component is pantographed with the company name; everything is covered in leather and dripping with colour. It's too much for me, but I am glad companies like Montante exist and I hope they find a North American distributor.

But if you are looking for a more accessible burst of colour, you will be pleased to hear that Bobbin Bicycles are coming to the North American market. Distributed by Fourth Floor in Canada, they should soon be available at bike shops.

Bobbin are offering a full line of classic city bicycles and accessories in a multitude of colours and for what look like fantastic prices (sub-$1,000 on all the models, as far as I could tell).

Here is their Birdie model in sky blue and yellow.

And here is a more sombre model in black, with full chaincase and dressguards.

Bobbin also introduced a number of pannier prototypes, including this leather satchel. I think the satchel is stunning, but I am wary of the snap-closure attachment system.

Here is a handsome canvas and leather one as well. I've spoken with the Bobbin representatives and may get to test ride one of their bicycles - fingers crossed.

It is also official now that standard production Bella Ciao bicycles (i.e. not just the Superba) will be available for sale in North America - distributed by BoxCycles/ the Nordic Bike Project.

Here is the men's model suspended from the ceiling. I can also tentatively announce that there may be a new line of Superba bicycles (ladies' and men's!) in 2012 and I hope to have details on that shortly.

Pilen had their classic Lyx models on display,

as well as a beautiful raw finish prototype with a SRAM automatic 2-speed hub. I have mentioned before that I think Pilen frames are unusually well finished for their price category, and the unpainted model really shows this off. I am picturing a swan-frame version with cream tires and feeling a little light-headed.

Pashley did not disappoint with their multiple booth display that was like a cozy clubhouse. I found myself falling in love with them all over again, returning repeatedly to take more photos and speak with the reps.

What appeals to me about Pashley is not only the beauty of their products, but their genuine commitment to making their bicycles on a small scale, in England, by the same people who've worked for them for years - despite external pressure to produce more volume. Though I ended up selling my Princess a year ago (see my review here), I wish that Pashley would do some research on how to tweak its geometry or tubing so as to make it a bit faster and more responsive - perhaps a loop frame version of the Guv'nor (come on, wouldn't a Reynolds 531 loop frame be awesome)? I truly want to support them as a business and to ride one of their bikes, as the Co-Habitant still happily does (see his review here).

In addition to having their range of loop-frame models on display, Pashley introduced the Parabike. My understanding is that this model is similar (or identical to?) the Tube Rider, but with a vintage military colour scheme of dusty slate blues and sage greens. I had not known the history of this frame style before, and it was explained to me that the bicycles used to be disassembleable, and British paratroopers would jump out of airplanes with the bikes strapped to them - then assemble them on the ground and ride away. Clearly Pashley needs to make at least a promotional prototype of a version that actually disassembles and film someone jumping out of a parachute and using it in this manner!

On board with the elegant transportation trend, Velo Orange had more than half of their display models set up with upright handlebars, which I thought was interesting. Does this reflect the preference of their customers?

The new green Polyvalent looked stunning and very inviting with its chaincase, Porteur handlebars and sizable front rack.

Happy to see the Sturmey-Archer 3-speed trigger shifter - not only on this bicycle, but on many others at Interbike.

Finally, the new colour they chose is a very pleasant shade of green, with a touch of soft gray mixed into it. Lovely all around. I am hoping VO will re-release their mixte in 2012 with a similar set-up and a softer colour scheme than their previous model.

One thing VO did I thought was interesting, was put small handlebar bags on upright bikes. I sometimes get emails asking whether I think this would look good and my instinct is usually "no," but this set-up is quite nice. I think the harmonious paring is largely due to the shape of the handlebars here, so that's one factor to consider. Another view of this set-up here.

The trend for colour was prominent among all city bicycles on display, and this pair of Gazelles illustrates nicely the two categories the colours seemed to fall into: vibrant "candy" shade, such as yellows and pinks, and subdued "vintage" shades, such as slate blues, creams, and sage greens.

Though I've focused on what I found to be the more interesting and trend-setting offerings, I cannot stress enough how popular the city bike was. There were so many, and from such a large number of manufacturers, that featuring them all would have been akin to posting a laundry list.

They came in all shapes and sizes, with the common design themes being a step-through frame and upright handlebars. Here is one from Benotto - an entire range actually.

The new city bike from Terry - the women-specific roadbike manufacturer.

And here is what looks like an Electra-imitation from Shanghai Forever.

A Pedersen-esque contraption from Virtue Bikes.

A couple of readers asked me to stop by the Linus booth and determine to what extent their mixte is lugged, so here are my findings. The front end is completely lugged (including the split lug for the mixte stays!), but is paired with a unicrown fork. And the seatcluster is welded.

Somewhat to my surprise, e-bikes were a huge trend at Interbike - I mean huge. I did not photograph many only because they do not interest me, but there must have been over a dozen manufacturers selling some version of an electric assist bicycle. This one is a Zoomi Monterey.

And here is an Achiever PedElec tricycle with enormous wicker baskets that make it resemble a laundy-getter. I spoke with a couple of the e-bike representatives, and each mentioned their belief that e-bikes need to look more classic and not so "techy" in order for the demographic they are trying to reach (read: women) to find them appealing. I agree.

Though this post is ridiculously long as it is, I can hardly neglect to mention folders. As with e-bikes, there was a huge folder epidemic - including electric folders. However, I am sorry to say that most of them were not easy on the eyes or simple to operate at all, and I will leave it to other blogs to post photos of them. Of course, the ever-practical and attractive Brompton was there, the rep tirelessly folding and unfolding it for awed spectators.

And Moulton wowed everyone with the limited edition stainless steel F-frame bicycle. As I understand it, this was actually made as a gift for a long-time Moulton employee upon his retirement, which is pretty amazing.

There were also miniature non-folding bicycles, such as the Bobbin Shopper - reminiscent of the Raleigh Twenty, outfitted with a rack and basket, and reasonably priced. The more folders and miniature bikes I try, the more convinced I am that they are a great solution for those who make relatively short trips and share bikes in the family, as well as for still-growing children and teenagers. Problem is, that not every manufacturer makes these bicycles equipped (or even compatible with) racks, which essentially kills their versatility. I am glad to see more models that do take this factor into consideration.

One aspect of the transportational bicycle trend that I noted was lacking at Interbike, were "box style" cargo cycles. There was the Christiania and I think the Gazelle Cabby, but I am pretty sure that was it. The Yuba, the Surly Big Dummy, and other long-tails were on display, but not the large, Dutch and Scandinavian bakfietsen and long-johns. It may be simply a matter of the design being difficult to replicate and "Americanise" by manufacturers, or perhaps it's just too much of a specialty item for Interbike at this stage.

So where does all of this leave us? The variety of designs and price points in the "city bicycle" genre, as well as the sheer number of models, are an encouraging sign, to say the least.  But do you think this is a sign that we - and by "we" I mean those who have been stressing the need for user-friendly city bicycles that can be ridden while wearing regular clothing - have arrived? Is the industry showing its commitment to catering to transportation cycling, or merely testing the waters? Your thoughts appreciated.

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