"City Bike" Hot New Category at Bicycle Industry Show

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:49:18 -0700, SMS wrote:

But will the dealers put it on the showroom floor? Trek had some good
commute bicycles but almost no dealers carried them.

Because Trek did not sell them in the US. Those were their world models.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007, Gooserider wrote:

The shocker for me? The $2000 Breezer "commuter"

Huh? Breezer's most expensive "town" bike is the Uptown 8. It goes for
$850.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

That being said, selling an expensive hybrid commuter is difficult.
Selling an expensive road bike is relatively easy. "Hey, feel how light
it is!", or "Hey, check out those lugs. That bike is hand made by a
craftsman in Wisconsin.". Selling an MTB is easy, too---it's all about
the cutting edge tech.

I think Performance had the better plan with the World Avenue. Sell a
relatively low priced commute bicycle with racks, fenders, and most
importantly a chain guard. I wish they'd included a hub dynamo too. OTOH,
all of the factory hub-dynamo equipped bicycles I see around here (mainly
Joe Breeze and REI Transfer) have additional lights installed because
they're used in an environment where the included dynamo lights don't cut
it. If the owners knew about the SolidLight for dynamos, and had a way to
buy it here for $150 or so, I'd think it'd sell reasonably well, since the
battery powered systems on these bikes are always of the expensive
variety.

It's almost impossible to get customers to buy practical bikes. We've
stocked fully-decked-out commuter bikes, and they sit & rot on the floor.
We've dressed up stock standard bikes, showing people what's available for
them, and they just collect dust and sales of fenders & lighting systems
only go to those who already understand their value, not new converts to the
cause.

It's possible that the new widespread awareness of global warming may have
an effect, along with a general feeling that we ought to do a better job of
protecting the planet for the next generation. But I'm skeptical. We, as an
industry, are relatively powerless. We don't control the media, or at least
the parts that influence the lives of everyday people. The bicycle industry
is finally beginning to band together for common marketing causes, of which
utility use bicycles is a big battle cry. The feeling is that, if we can get
utilitarian use of the bicycle seen as a mainstream activity, it will raise
sales of *all* types of bicycles, thus avoiding the pitfall of creating a
beast that becomes a non-profit commodity item.

Would be nice that we actually had reason to be scared of creating such a
beast...

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"SMS" wrote in message
...
Gooserider wrote:

That being said, selling an expensive hybrid commuter is difficult.
Selling an expensive road bike is relatively easy. "Hey, feel how light
it is!", or "Hey, check out those lugs. That bike is hand made by a
craftsman in Wisconsin.". Selling an MTB is easy, too---it's all about
the cutting edge tech.

I think Performance had the better plan with the World Avenue. Sell a
relatively low priced commute bicycle with racks, fenders, and most
importantly a chain guard. I wish they'd included a hub dynamo too. OTOH,
all of the factory hub-dynamo equipped bicycles I see around here (mainly
Joe Breeze and REI Transfer) have additional lights installed because
they're used in an environment where the included dynamo lights don't cut
it. If the owners knew about the SolidLight for dynamos, and had a way to
buy it here for $150 or so, I'd think it'd sell reasonably well, since the
battery powered systems on these bikes are always of the expensive
variety.

Don Wiss wrote:
On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:49:18 -0700, SMS wrote:

But will the dealers put it on the showroom floor? Trek had some good
commute bicycles but almost no dealers carried them.

Because Trek did not sell them in the US. Those were their world models.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

They sold them at Bike Gallery in Portland. Presumably other dealers
could have gotten them if they wanted to.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

It's almost impossible to get customers to buy practical bikes. We've
stocked fully-decked-out commuter bikes, and they sit & rot on the floor.
We've dressed up stock standard bikes, showing people what's available for
them, and they just collect dust and sales of fenders & lighting systems
only go to those who already understand their value, not new converts to the
cause.

I think it's a matter of pricing. The reason the Schwinn World Avenue
has done relatively well is because they priced it well. On sale, with
the Team Performance discount, it goes for around $320, sometimes less.
They can't keep it in stock. It's going to be very different for a
$700-1000 commuter bike, even if it includes some dynamo lights.

In article
,
Zoot Katz wrote:

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:08:39 -0400, Matt O'Toole
quoted, in part:

If anyone gave birth to the urban biker movement, it's probably Sky
Yaeger, Swobo's managing director.

Bulldadda. Urban cycling has been with us for over 130 years

We can look forward to scooping some nice equipment at garage sales
after these trend following fixey clones get their knee replacement
surgeries.

If anyone is responsible for cyclists regaining their senses it was
you, me and freds the world over who never knew
transportation/utility/commuting cycling was ever out of "fashion".

It _was_ out of fashion. Dag nabbed fashion is always trying
to catch up with me. They'll never make it though. I've got
more where that came from.

Our "beaters" are the real progenitors of this new bicycle breed.

[...]

--
Michael Press

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:49:07 -0700, SMS
wrote:

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

It's almost impossible to get customers to buy practical bikes. We've
stocked fully-decked-out commuter bikes, and they sit & rot on the floor.
We've dressed up stock standard bikes, showing people what's available for
them, and they just collect dust and sales of fenders & lighting systems
only go to those who already understand their value, not new converts to the
cause.

I think it's a matter of pricing. The reason the Schwinn World Avenue
has done relatively well is because they priced it well. On sale, with
the Team Performance discount, it goes for around $320, sometimes less.
They can't keep it in stock. It's going to be very different for a
$700-1000 commuter bike, even if it includes some dynamo lights.

I think when people start noticing how sexy we are they'll pay
anything to get on the bandwagon.

Fixed gear bikes have become popular largely because of the
messengers iconic image.

If city bikes help cyclists to dress better more people will be
encouraged to ride. By coming stock with fenders having coat/skirt
protectors, chain guards and geometry that permits a more dignified
riding position people can wear their "normal" clothes.
http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/

Keep it lightweight, give 'em a place for their stuff and lights like
a real vehicle. At $1000 though, I'm afraid many of the new converts
will be expecting a motor.
--
zk

On Sep 27, 10:31 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:

I think Performance had the better plan with the World Avenue. Sell a
relatively low priced commute bicycle with racks, fenders, and most
importantly a chain guard. I wish they'd included a hub dynamo too. OTOH,
all of the factory hub-dynamo equipped bicycles I see around here (mainly
Joe Breeze and REI Transfer) have additional lights installed because
they're used in an environment where the included dynamo lights don't cut
it. If the owners knew about the SolidLight for dynamos, and had a way to
buy it here for $150 or so, I'd think it'd sell reasonably well, since the
battery powered systems on these bikes are always of the expensive
variety.

It's almost impossible to get customers to buy practical bikes. We've
stocked fully-decked-out commuter bikes, and they sit & rot on the floor.
We've dressed up stock standard bikes, showing people what's available for
them, and they just collect dust and sales of fenders & lighting systems
only go to those who already understand their value, not new converts to the
cause.

It's possible that the new widespread awareness of global warming may have
an effect, along with a general feeling that we ought to do a better job of
protecting the planet for the next generation. But I'm skeptical. We, as an
industry, are relatively powerless. We don't control the media, or at least
the parts that influence the lives of everyday people. The bicycle industry
is finally beginning to band together for common marketing causes, of which
utility use bicycles is a big battle cry. The feeling is that, if we can get
utilitarian use of the bicycle seen as a mainstream activity, it will raise
sales of *all* types of bicycles, thus avoiding the pitfall of creating a
beast that becomes a non-profit commodity item.

Would be nice that we actually had reason to be scared of creating such a
beast...

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

Dear Mike,

Chain guards, lights, pricing, global warming, all the media's fault,
blah-blah-blah . . .

Here's a hot new city bike that should scare us sissies, no fancy
fenders, no silly clipless pedals, no high prices:

http://www.pbase.com/kayakbiker/image/27685415

It's your basic 80-tooth front-sprocket 1907 fixie--simple, reliable
transportation with head-light, tool-bag, sprung-seat, cruiser
handlebars, and front suspension. (Okay, 40-tooth inch-pitch.)

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Gooserider wrote:

Cheaper is better for a dedicated commuter, I think. Of course, that depends
on the type of commute. But for something that may be locked to a rack all
day, or will be used for stops at the grocery store on the way home from
work---yes. They're making a big deal about the dynohub lights, but I don't
know how bright these lights will be. I know that there are good generator
lights(Lumotec, etc), but are these cheap ones good?

"Good" is such a relative term.

Let's just say it's extremely rare (like never), to see one of these
commute bikes out at night using only the dynamo lights. Of course the
integrated dynamo lights are the only dynamos you're going to see around
for commuters in most parts of the U.S., for technical and demographic
reasons.

I wouldn't say they're good. They're adequate "being seen lights" though
the lack a standlight. They're probably good enough for riding slowly on
familiar streets.

However nothing prevents the owner from buying some better headlamps to
use with the hub dynamo.

If some large company would make the effort to build a Cree based dynamo
light in large quantities then the cost of the components of that light
would come way down.

"Matt O'Toole" wrote in message
news
Wired has a nice article about how non-sport bikes are hot sellers again:

http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels...ke_urbanbikers

"City Bike" Hot New Category at Bicycle Industry Show


Oh no!
My commuter/touring bike and I might become hip!
What else will I need to do to become a hipster?
Dye my hair green (after some Grecian formula as well)?
Wear my old, out of style (I'm not very good at determing this) clothes
rather than taking them to the Salvation Army?
Get rid of my Rohloff hub and get a fixie hub (it will be easy to put it
back on when the fad dies out)?
Are my fenders and lights now cool?

BobT