Ultiate city bike (not foldable)

[Quickmoose]

I've had my Schindelauer for nearly a year now and it's totally changed the way I look at bikes...no more derailleurs, chains or skin tight aero clothing...its taken me back to simply enjoying hopping on and going for an aimless ride, very relaxing...or if not just looking at the machine.

As with most bike lovers, n+1 is a rule that always sits on your laptop if you're bored, 'what else could I have'.....

I noticed this years' design winner went to Canyon for their Urban and Commuter range. Stunning. for a very reasonable outlay (C2W ish), you get belt drive, hub gears, disc brakes and a superb bit of frame design. This and the BMC Apline range (much more pricey) are my new pin ups.


or

[craigthecoupe]

both of those look awesome!

[Some Gump]

What, a commuter bike with no mudguards, rackmounts and a pretty aggressive looking position that you can't adjust due to the integrated stem design?

Style over substance IMO.

[Quickmoose]

Some Gump said:

What, a commuter bike with no mudguards, rackmounts and a pretty aggressive looking position that you can't adjust due to the integrated stem design?

Style over substance IMO.

I'm certain both can be fitted with guards and rackmount (the Canyon combine the two?! within the product range), and I'm pretty sure the riding position can be adjusted to suit, especially on the BMC

[paranoid airbag]

They're nice. But an "ultimate" city bike would go further than merely having the capacity for mudguards.

Imagine buying a car designed like that. "Would sir like the ability to use this after dark? Because that's extra." Not even VAG have the nerve to do that. Yet in 2014 it's apparently possible to put the two-wheeled equivalent of a radical SR3 on sale as "practical".

[Sarkmeister]

The bikes above are very nice looking, but look a bit "aggresive" for city commuting. I think I'd want to be a bit more upright.

Also, surely whether you wear skin tight lycra is up to you, and nothing to do with the bike?

[Mr Will]

I really don't get what people have against chains and dérailleurs. They are simple, lightweight, easy to look after and work well.

[Quickmoose]

If you like this kind of bike, look further than just the specific picture I have posted and you will find Canyon do a Commuter version with all the guards and racks fitted as standard...

And yes whilst I could ride a road biased bike with jeans and a T-shirt, I'd feel a bit daft with SPDs...but then I could fit toe clips or flats right?.....so why bother with drop bars and race geometry if you're not going to make the most of it with related clobber...

All I'm saying is that, I, personally, am, at present, preferring a more relaxed approach to cycling, and these offerings push my buttons... just thought I'd add these two specific models to the forum for anyone looking for something different.
I'be had chains and mechs for 30 years, and enjoyed their performance whislt cursing their failings.....so far belt drive and hub gears, despite the weight penalty seem a superb combination...

Perhaps I should've spelt "Ultimate" correctly and added a question mark...

[AC43]

Quickmoose said:

.....so why bother with drop bars and race geometry if you're not going to make the most of it with related clobber...

Totally agree. Relaxed city riding is where it's at for me.

Although, as others have said, the riding position on those looks pretty extreme to me. I tried a Hoy recently and it was all arse-in-the-air-knuckles-at-knee-height which I found quite alien and not what I'm personally looking for in a city bike.

I'd want the bars 2-3 inches up from there. Otherwise, interesting designs.

[Mr Will]

Quickmoose said:

And yes whilst I could ride a road biased bike with jeans and a T-shirt, I'd feel a bit daft with SPDs...but then I could fit toe clips or flats right?.....so why bother with drop bars and race geometry if you're not going to make the most of it with related clobber...

All I'm saying is that, I, personally, am, at present, preferring a more relaxed approach to cycling, and these offerings push my buttons... just thought I'd add these two specific models to the forum for anyone looking for something different.

I understand the usage, I've had an old-fashioned town bike and now have a steel tourer for exactly this purpose. The tourer has half/half pedals on it so can be ridden in either regular shoes or SPDs. It has mudguards, a sturdy rack and a lockable handlebar bag so I can ride it in normal clothes and carry as much stuff as I need to. The drop-bars are mounted on a very high front end, offering a choice of positions ranging from more upright than these bikes to roughly equal to the hoods on my road-bike. It does city duties just about perfectly but is also able to knock out 100+ mile days without an issue.

Quickmoose said:

I'be had chains and mechs for 30 years, and enjoyed their performance whislt cursing their failings.....so far belt drive and hub gears, despite the weight penalty seem a superb combination...

Not arguing with you here but I'd be interested to know what you see as their failings? Chains and mechs seem pretty hassle free to me, but I'm interest to learn what others think.

[Quickmoose]

mainly mess, be it grit and grease on a MTB, or general grime on a road bike, it'll get on your clothes one way or another...
Because of this mess, they need regular attention which if you love tinkering is no hardship, but for those that don't...it's hassle.
And noise, poorly adjusted, dirty or worn out stuff makes noise, whilst I like the sound of a well lubed and adjusted system, the novelty of pedalling with no noise at all has yet to wear off.

[Barchettaman]

Two nice bikes posted above, and I'm not against flat bars in any biking application per se, but just having those round grips would piss me off in about five minutes.

People forget the great thing about drops, all the weird and wonderful alternate hand positions.

Ergon grips on a flat bar please - but they would spoil the 'lines' of those photos I imagine.

[tobinen]

Perhaps the bikes in the OP are aimed at couriers?

[Mr Will]

Quickmoose said:

mainly mess, be it grit and grease on a MTB, or general grime on a road bike, it'll get on your clothes one way or another...
Because of this mess, they need regular attention which if you love tinkering is no hardship, but for those that don't...it's hassle.
And noise, poorly adjusted, dirty or worn out stuff makes noise, whilst I like the sound of a well lubed and adjusted system, the novelty of pedalling with no noise at all has yet to wear off.

I can see the appeal of a complete absence of noise but can't say the rest has ever troubled me (and I'm not the kind of guy who is tinkering with his bikes every weekend). Thanks for the insight though!

[Quickmoose]

Barchettaman said:

Ergon grips on a flat bar please - but they would spoil the 'lines' of those photos I imagine.

s'wat mine has....don't spoil those lines..