3/12/12 2:18 PM

Anyone have any experience with this bike? I've read the reviews online that mention the fragile wiring and the heft of the bike, but wondered if anyone on here has ridden one or knows someone that has.

I'm going to take a look at one later this week. My mom retired a few years ago and wants a bike to get around her smallish town of 30,000 (Valparaiso IN). Pick up a few groceries, ride to the library etc...just 5 mile one way trips mostly.

She had a 3 speed bike when I was little that I recall her riding. My child seat was mounted to the back even....she has a 29" inseam and doesn't want "a bunch of gears" as she will "get confused." (Her words) :)

Thought this might be the ticket....

3/12/12 2:25 PM

Time to build her a bike with a internal geared hub me thinks. ;)


I have not heard of that Trek though...


The comfort bike with one ring up front with a basket up front and front and seat post shock where VERY popular for such use at the LBS I worked at for the duration FWIW. Raleigh and Specialized offerings. Comfort class...

Bikesdirect.com offering with nexus 8 speed internal 399.00 FWIW


http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/jub_8.htm


I see they have added an old school page too! old school looks/city bike but internal geared 8 speed options. Pretty cool actually...

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/city_bikes.htm

3/12/12 4:28 PM

I thought that bike was a triplet? Just kidding.

And don't worry about mom's "confusion.". My 23 year old ivy league grad niece finds gears plenty confusing.

3/12/12 5:54 PM

You might want to check out the lovely bike blog. She writes a lot about city bikes for women. I seem to remember a rather negative review of the Belleville.
lovelybike.blogspot.com/

David

3/13/12 6:05 AM

The Windsor Kensington from BikesDirect looks like a great deal. Thanks for posting, Sparky! I've been looking for a commuter bike and thinking of the Civia Bryant. The Windsor is a step down in components but a much nicer price. Thanks!

3/13/12 8:39 AM

Windsor Kensington is all Chromoly as well. The spec says DA17 Rims, presumably Weinmann DA17 double-wall which is good at that price point to have double wall rims at all.

I like these personally, someone @ Raleigh has cool perspective IMO.

A lot more money [and gears] and more road like, the Clubman is cool. I rode with a guy here with one and it had little mass produced build apparent to it, which surprised me actually. Lugs and Reynolds etc.

3/13/12 9:04 AM

A pretty bike...but those levers just make it look wrong, somehow. I do love the matching fenders, though!

3/13/12 9:33 AM

"but those levers just make it look wrong, somehow"

Maybe so, but with so much function attached to the modern brifters, easy for me to overlook. ;)

Perhaps BarCons would be more congruent to the retro-ish style for a modern offering.

This is more a bike for us retro geeks, or the ones among us, thus off topic for the Mom bike issue...

3/13/12 11:06 AM

I don't mind the functionality, but the SIZE! The 10-speed era Campy levers were about the last brifters (there's a word for you) I could stomach. These things are just too much--though I happily note the frame appears to have mounts for downtube shifters. Hmmmmm....

I bet if I bought the bike and sold the brifters, I wouldn't be too badly off!

3/13/12 11:54 AM

I have always had an aesthetic soft-spot for the Bianchi Milano. Internal 8 speed hub. I think they stopped making them this year, but I'll bet they are still around.

Full disclosure: the recommendation is based only a romanticized notion of owning a Bianchi celeste city bike....

3/13/12 12:28 PM

"but the SIZE! The 10-speed "


That is very true! When I went from DA 9s to 10s DA STI's I had to put a shorter stem on the bike. They are long and huge and big... and... and.. For me with huge hands I love that most about them.

I was going to keep the 9s STI for another bike, but after feeling how much more comfortable the huge 10s are for my mitts I sold them off. So I could care less how they look due to the added comfort/functionality for me.

But I agree with you, the look for that Clubman is effected in that way... ;)

Bar Cons is the answer. ;)

3/13/12 2:59 PM

"My 23 year old ivy league grad niece finds gears plenty confusing."

The only way I've found to get people knowing what derailer bikes are about is to let them operate it for a while on a stand, while facing the geartrain.
Schwinn took up the challenge with a counter-top drivetrain that the customer could operate. It even had a handle so it could be stashed away.
And Schwinn was educating a consumer who had never before used or maybe even seen a derailer-equipped drivetrain.
Having to look down while riding seems lke a dangerous and to-be-avoided into to learning how derailers work, but in general, fewer chainrings (like one) helps, as does indexing, Hyperglide, SuperGlide, etc..
It can also be good to have the foolproof hub gearing, the only way to go forsome riders, especially those who loathe "chain grease".

3/14/12 12:06 AM

Why not get one of the internally geared hub machines that uses a drive belt, like the Trek Soho. I suggested the local equivalent of this to a couple of friends looking for a bike to commute/run errands on, and they seem pretty happy with them. Zero drivetrain maintenance, and come with fenders, racks, and disc brakes if you want them.

3/14/12 6:54 PM

Nick,

Mainly because that is out of the price range...looks like a nice ride though!

The Bellevillle I test rode today is just over a year old, was used for a 1.5 mile commute during that time and the seller is motivated because they are moving. Think I can get it for $350-400...retail was $650 or so I think.

I did read the lovely bike review and agree that the grips, seat and brakes are areas where they cut costs...but am pretty sure I would only have to address the seat issue.

I also like the looks of that Milano...but what I like more is the few pics of the Bianchi Milano folding bike you see when you Google it up on Google Images. Where can I find one of those? :)

3/19/12 1:39 PM

Smunderdog-- you talked me into talking myself into buying a nice celeste 8-speed Bianchi Milano for my wife. I found one locally that sat in someone's garage for three years untouched-- it looks brand new. So I thought, what the heck?

Unanswered question: whether my wife will actually ride it. But if she doesn't, I will!

3/20/12 8:50 PM

Awesome! Congrats on a great find!

I agreed to purchase the Belleville today...talked him down to $325. Pick it up later this week...

3/29/12 5:32 PM

Anyone have any suggestions for the best double kickstand for this beast? :). It is pretty fun to ride...

The ones over at velo orange are sold out currently...