Simple bikes for local transport
 

On Nov 28, 12:37 pm, brucef wrote:
tim wrote:
Single-speed is as simple as it gets. But there's the hill issue. Cost
permitting, my preference would be hub gears.

Me too, but single speed works in a lot of places.

My thinking is to have two models. A basic model, single-speed, with
back-pedal rear brake and front rim brake; and a deluxe model with 8-
speed internal gears, and drum brakes at both ends.

The basic version is a standard production model from my supplier.
It's easy to do.

I'm negotiating the upgrades I want on the deluxe. Not surprisingly,
adding a brand-name (small S) 8-speed hub does awful things to the
cost, and I'm still working on the drum brakes. Even so, it will make
one hell of a wet weather commuting bike, at a reasonable price for
what it is.

They'll be available in your choice of black.

I saw a single
speed Giant with wide slick tyres at my lbs a couple of months
ago. It was on special for $150. No gears, no gear lever or cable,
1 front brake and cable, 1 pedal brake. Can't get much simpler
than that. I was tempted.

That's in the ballpark of where I'm aiming the basic model. Freight to
send them out will be the killer. That's where K-mart has the upper
hand, not having to send low-cost bikes out individually.

My wife and 16yo daughter won't ride a diamond frame bike. They
don't wear skirts, it is a security thing - they like to feel that
they
can easily jump off the seat and stand without falling over. For
some reason swinging their leg backwards frightens them.

I'll have to think about adding a drop-bar / step-through frame to the
line-up. Probably only in the basic model.

I like the dutch-style swept back handlebars.

So do I :-)

tim

Simple bikes for local transport
 

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:19:27 -0800 (PST)
tim wrote:

I'll have to think about adding a drop-bar / step-through frame to the
line-up. Probably only in the basic model.

Well....

I suppose it depends how much of your target market needs gears. I
tend to think the target is as many women as men, and quite possibly
older women too. You maybe need to find more non-riders to ask if
they want gears and a stepthrough.

At first blush I'd say there would be quite a few who do.

Zebee

Simple bikes for local transport
 

On Nov 28, 12:29 pm, tim wrote:
If I get my suppliers to do the mixing and matching, I have to carry
stock of a wider range of bikes.

Any time I spend mixing, matching and assembling costs money. I'm
often told I'm cheap, but my hourly rate has to be higher than a
Chinese bike factory worker.

You are right, keep it simple. The wishlist process is a useful
exercise, but in the end you want to strip it down to maybe
two basic models max, plus easily user-installable addons
like lights and baskets etc.

If you can come up with a simple bike like this, with maybe
3 or 5 hub gears for under $200 I will buy three.

Simple bikes for local transport
 

In aus.bicycle on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:12:38 -0800 (PST)
brucef wrote:

If you can come up with a simple bike like this, with maybe
3 or 5 hub gears for under $200 I will buy three.

heh, even a bent freak like me might buy 1 as a station bike - single
speed or 3 gears, full chaincase, stand, basket and rack as extras.

I'd still use the bent for the normal shopping, but that would be a
bike to use to avoid walking to the station...

Hell, even a 3 speed would work - keep it at work for lending out for
going to the shops on :)

has sudden weird idea about stepthrough frame and modified cruzbike
kit....

Zebee

Simple bikes for local transport
 

tim wrote:

I'm negotiating the upgrades I want on the deluxe. Not surprisingly,
adding a brand-name (small S) 8-speed hub does awful things to the
cost, and I'm still working on the drum brakes.


The 7 speed hub is a fair bit less expensive than the 8 speed hub and
the ratios are actually more even (assuming it's the brand of hub gears
I'm thinking of).


G-S

Simple bikes for local transport
 

Theo Bekkers wrote:
wrote:
Theo Bekkers wrote:

I only rode single-speeds as a kid and rode from Mt Lawley to Perth
after I started work on the same bike I had in High school. When I
got back into cycling at age 40, I rode a fixie for a while from
Balga to the City. No big deal. You just need to have a manageble
gear, which means you're limiting your top speed a little.

Geoff pretty much hit the nail on the head. Most of the hills where I
live are such that a single speed would mean walking up them.

I did have a steep hill which was on my route in, but I detoured around it
on the way home. So steep became long.

Castlemaine is built in a valley and along the edges of a couple of
ridge lines.

It's a bit hard to detour around the foothills of the Great Dividing
Range ;-)


G-S

Simple bikes for local transport
 

brucef wrote:
On Nov 28, 12:29 pm, tim wrote:
If I get my suppliers to do the mixing and matching, I have to carry
stock of a wider range of bikes.

Any time I spend mixing, matching and assembling costs money. I'm
often told I'm cheap, but my hourly rate has to be higher than a
Chinese bike factory worker.

You are right, keep it simple. The wishlist process is a useful
exercise, but in the end you want to strip it down to maybe
two basic models max, plus easily user-installable addons
like lights and baskets etc.

If you can come up with a simple bike like this, with maybe
3 or 5 hub gears for under $200 I will buy three.

So would I :)

If you can only keep it to around $400 I'd have to keep it to 1 though.


G-S

Simple bikes for local transport
 

wrote:
On Nov 28, 8:01 am, G-S wrote:
Resound wrote:

Centrestands are a thing that I can see being a distinct advantage
(especially for the bakfiet while trying to load and unload it).

You're right... I hate the sidestand on my cypress city with a passion.

It is easily the least practical bit of the bike, when I have weight in
the panniers the bike is very unstable.

G-S

I'll third that.

No, these rear-stay-mounted stands
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...ils&sku=KI1002

are excellent for securely supporting a fully loaded touring bike, and cope
easily with typical shopping loads.
http://sports.webshots.com/photo/218...74746151wuCHNq (my bike standing
with kickstand in front - blue panniers)

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

definitely not cyclists
 

On Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:20:22 +1100, G-S wrote:

I wheeled my Giant Cypress City (with rack, panniers, lights, kick-stand
etc etc) commuter bike out the door of work today into a sea of lycra.
The local cycling club meet and leave from the lights near work.

I was in a work T-Shirt and black jeans (it was cold today... normally
that'd be shorts).

(not personal but) commuting home in full lycra down to my shimano
sandals
I was moments away from being maimed by Mr T-shirt and baggy shorts.
A shared path is NOT single track. A downhill run does not justify
drifting wide out of shape into a blind corner underpass.
Railing to my left and concrete wall to the right so nowhere to go.
Under Cotter Rd by Curtin ACT.
Apologies G-S, I really needed to vent.

Many many 'looks' (presumably because I didn't fit the lycra
demographic) LOL

or not. Some may have been checking out your bike.
You've obviously put some thought into it.
--
Andre ==================== Speed Thrills!

Simple bikes for local transport
 

On Nov 28, 4:39 pm, G-S wrote:
brucef wrote:
If you can come up with a simple bike like this, with maybe
3 or 5 hub gears for under $200 I will buy three.

So would I :)

If you can only keep it to around $400 I'd have to keep it to 1 though.

The price point is tricky. It falls somewhere between a kmart special
at about $150 and a low-end name brand bike with reasonable quality
parts, like a giant elwood or upland, which starts at about $400.

I reckon they would sell like crazy at $200, above $300 it gets a bit
dicey.