Between A Rock & A Hard Place
We’ve discussed this sort of thing before, but it is worth repeating. The bike industry just can’t seem to quit swinging like a pendulum between bikes so light they are flat out fragile and behemoths so inefficient they serve no practical purpose.
Currently, the behemoths are winning. This makes life hard for honest bicycle retailers. We know better, but folks come in wanting a mtb to ride things like Riverfront and Ben Butterworth MUP’s! Don’t get me wrong, any bike can be made to do any type riding. It is just that no bike is good for all types of riding. Certainly none are ideal. Still, they’re popular and profitable. Do we stock bikes knowing they’ll never really be ridden? Worse yet, those that will be destroyed because they’re being ridden wrong (knowing we’ll be blamed)?
Fatter tires are for lower pressures on soft, uneven surfaces. These are not to be confused with the abominations we see as fat tire e-bikes (3.5″+), but still too wide to be efficient on trails anywhere around here, including Sylvan Island. I get it. Gravel bikes too are in right now. They are a great in-between for folks that can’t justify more than one bicycle. It is just sad to see such foolishness. Folks spinning tiny cranks wildly, in high gear, to turn 10-12sp cassettes they’ll never use…because it’s cool (there was a time when mountains were climbed on bikes with 52 tooth chain rings and 14-28 cassettes… are we really getting that weak?)!
Then there is suspension. There is no such thing as a suspension frame or fork designed for comfort. ALL are designed for off road control. You are just carrying around a lot of extra weight that also absorbs power. This is just as true on an e-bike as on a traditional bike.
Cycling icon Gazelle (available through Jerry & Sparky’s) builds only comfort bikes. They’ve been doing so since the 1800’s. Only in The U.S. do they offer fatter tires and even they are under 2.25″. Their top of the line bikes don’t have suspension frames (they do offer an amazing suspension fork crown though). Comfort comes from good geometry and frame materials, not from gadgets and marshmellow tires. Those things make bikes hard to handle, heavy and handling itself sluggish.
I am currently converting a Giant Momentum UR. Momentum is Giant’s line of lifestyle bikes (sold locally through Wright’s and Bike-N-Hike). This “City” bike has gravel ready tires and a fairly light frame with comfy geometry. It’s super low maintenance belt drive and 3 speed hub are geared to tackle any hill in The Quad Cities. I doubt you’ll ride anything more comfortable. She’ll be able to shift stopped, coasting or under light pedaling. It has no suspension.
This amazing Reid comfort bike also has comfy gravel tires. The step through frame will be great for the constant on and off of stop and go commuting. It’s 11-28 cassette is more than you’ll ever use on road, with a 750 watt mid-drive. The Dutch style, extra long fenders are an acquired taste, but nothing works as well. She’s added a suspension seatpost and might add a suspension stem, but with everything else, both are probably overkill. Sadly, you almost never see bikes like these on the road or on show room floors, but they are what most would enjoy best.
So, what is the solution? I don’t fault my competitors. They have to carry what sells and a lot of what their suppliers demand. Do we load up the streets with junk then throw up our hands and say there is nothing we can do when they are too expensive or impossible to repair? That’s what the online, Direct To Consumer brands are doing. I had to turn away five last month because the mfg could not supply parts while they took up my floor space for SIX Months!
I have said it before, here it is again; no one is going to be throwing their panties at you because your bike is “cool.!” What is,”cool” today will be mocked in a year or so. If you cannot afford several quality bikes, don’t invest in, “cool.” Buy the best best bike for your application and remember, there is no such thing as a good, cheap bike.