"tim" wrote in message
...
On Nov 26, 8:57 pm, G-S wrote:
Zebee Johnstone wrote:
In aus.bicycle on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:45:30 -0800 (PST)
tim wrote:
$600 for a coaster-braked single-speed steel-framed bike? Yeeeow!
Any rival would have to compete with k-mart bikes, which are what
people use for that job now.

That's my goal.

I've dispaired at the cheap bike options available in Australia for
years. BTH's good experiences with his BigW bike are refreshing, but
the fact remains - ultra-cheap bikes are very low quality and
generally unsuitable for their target and actual use. It makes no
sense to fit knobby tyres on a bike with the generic "not for off-road
use" sticker, for example.

The first few steps up the price ladder gets you more gimmicks and no
more quality. Dysfunctional suspension. Shockingly bad disc brakes.
Funky "Y-bike" frames that add weight, reduce strength and increase
the number of questionable welds.

Pay a bit more, the gimmicks get better in quality, until you're
paying $500+ for a reasonably good bike. I would still question
whether the style of the bike is appropriate for the target use - as
discussed in the thread that I've forked this from, Australian society
is set on the idea of cycling being a sport, and the categories of
bikes on the market ("road" or "mountain") reflect this. "Hybrid"
bikes are a change from this, but simply don't exist at the lower
price level... where many of the people who would be best served by
such a bike are shopping.

I want to offer functional bikes for a price comparable to department
store junk bikes. Cheap, comfortable, reliable, and adequate for short
local trips.

I'm not kidding myself that this is a huge market segment. I'm not
about to quitting my day job and build a lavish corporate HQ. In the
first instance I'm only planning on selling a few cargo-bikes
(bakfietsen), which is an even smaller segment. But if I'm setting up
import and distribution channels I may as well look at other options
too. A bit more inventory. A few more pallets in the garage. A bit
more money tied up in stuff I hope I can sell. Gulp.

(This whole debacle started because I want a bakfiets to carry my
little girls, and couldn't find them for sale outside of Europe and
Portland, OR.. Next thing I know I'm setting myself up as an import
tycoon. Eeep.)

The prices for similar bikes from Europe are actually higher than that.

That's why I'm looking to source from China.

People admire Dutch and Danish cycling culture, so they look to buy
Dutch- and Danish-built bikes to follow the "simple bike" philosophy.
If you can afford a genuine Dutch single-speed city bike, good luck to
you. I'm sure they're great bikes, but the price doesn't fit the
product.

There's nearly a billion people riding basic single-speed bikes in
China and India combined, and they sure as heck can't afford premium
quality European craftsmanship. If anybody knows how to put a basic
steel bike frame together it's the Chinese. They sure build enough of
them. I suspect there are more miles ridden on Chinese single-speed
bikes than all other bikes in the world combined.

They do look good, but it's too hilly around here for single speeds (my
first real bike as a child proved that and I was fit then!).

So we get to the point of this post - what do people think is
necessary (and/or desireable) for a basic, general purpose, local
transport bike for lycra-free "unreal cyclists" (as PeteSig so
elequently put it)?

Single-speed is as simple as it gets. But there's the hill issue. Cost
permitting, my preference would be hub gears. Derailers are great for
sporting bikes - there's no better, lighter or cheaper way to get such
a wide range of gears - but they require some shifting technique, and
present the possibility of the chain falling off. People like my Mum
are scared of derailer gears. Hub gears are more rugged, more
forgiving of (moderate) neglect, and more foolproof in operation. 3-
speed hubs have been used for nearly 100 years. There are now numerous
8-speed hubs on the market (Shimano, Sram and Sturmey) although none
of them are particularly cheap. I don't think the local transport bike
market can afford, nor requires, Rohloff :-P

A good chain guard (or full chain case) is a must-have, as are good
mudguards. These bikes should be rideable in street clothes, or a
business suit, without getting filthy. The chain case requirement fits
in with the "no derailers" idea - a single chainline is easier to
guard. Chain guards are also a deadset nuisance if you drop a chain,
which is much more likely with derailer gears (especially if the bike
ends up in small-small gears, which they inevitably do when ridden by
non-enthusiast cyclists).

Asian and European city bikes tend to run coaster (back-pedal) brakes
on the rear wheel only. I survived okay as a kid with my back-pedal
brake BMX, but Australian law now requires all new bikes to have front
and rear brakes. Are rim brakes really a good choice for bikes that
are unlikely to have their rims replaced if (when) damaged? What about
drum brakes? I don't think discs are a viable option at this end of
the market - cheap discs simply don't work, and the rotors are always
susceptible to damage when jammed into bike racks etc..

How about frame style? Traditional diamond frame is a given; how about
step-through frames ("grandmother bikes" as the Dutch would call
them)? Not good for frame stiffness, but intended to be easier to ride
in a skirt. I've never ridden in a long skirt, so I don't know how
much of an issue this is.

26" or 700c wheels?

Any other thoughts or suggestions?

tim
http://www.townbikes.com - work in progress behind the scenes :-P

I want one of these bikes when you get them! I'm currently riding my mum's
1950s(?) Malvern Star, and the brakes terrify me. I don't trust them to stop
at the bottom of a hill, so I find myself braking the whole way down the
hill. I'm sure there must be a better way. I'd also like a side stand (I
know, I could easily get one). I ride to the shops (about 1km) or short
rides with my toddler in a front-mounted child seat. It doesn't seem worth
spending $900 (what my previous bike cost) for that. Maybe when my
daughter's a bit older and can ride her own bike.

Liz