Urban/Fitness Bike

bluefoam

I'm looking of a good bike for knocking around the city. I really like the look of fixies - flat bars, skinny tubes & simple designs & I want to get a geared bike with a similar look...

I was looking at the specialized sirrus or globe vienna, but then I found this, which seems to tick a lot of boxes for me:http://www.focus-bikes.de/index.php?id=23&L=0&R=1&tx_dcwproductdbfe_pi1[cat_id]=16&tx_dcwproductdbfe_pi1[pr_id]=133&cHash=79b2d641df352574af8601b49d939510

Anyone have suggestions for a similar type bike? Hub gears would look cool on a bike like this too, but would the weight be an issue?

bluefoam

Anyone?

AndyManc

It's Easter , give it a few days.

bluefoam

Okay, new question. I'm not too clued in about gear ratios etc... But I just discovered the Charge Tap with an 8 speed hub. Would an 8 speed be suitable for general 5/6km cycles or am I better off going with the focus with a greater selection of gears?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Charg ... 360044277/

shouldbeinbed

bluefoam wrote:

Okay, new question. I'm not too clued in about gear ratios etc... But I just discovered the Charge Tap with an 8 speed hub. Would an 8 speed be suitable for general 5/6km cycles or am I better off going with the focus with a greater selection of gears?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Charg ... 360044277/

I've got a 8 speed Alfine (1 up from the nexus) on my load lugger bike for a 10 k hilly commute and its fine. the spacing of the gears isn't as comprehensive (overlapped) as an 18+ derailleur set up but its plenty adequate for the side of the Pennines, out onto the Peaks and pottering round the middle of Manchester all day. You can find yourself picking which side of just right you want to be on in the mid ranges but you're never far off and certainly not spinning madly or really struggling to push the pedals round. I test rode a few Nexus hubs before plumping for this one and they felt much the same.

you do pay a weight penalty on the rear end but its silent, bombproof & near as dammit maintenence free, I've not had to make a single adjustment to the cable or the chain yet.

I like the look of Charge bikes. Have you considered a Charge Plug as your fixie.

Stevo_666

Going back to your original request, this is single speed rather than fixie but looks like a nice piece of kit, good vfm and quite good looking (hang on, I'm getting interested in s/s's :shock: )
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/flyer/flyer/specifications/

bluefoam

Thanks Guys,
My current thinking is that I'll go for the Charge Tap & as a little project, I'll upgrade to the new 11 speed Alfine hub when its launched...

S/S scares me, my fitness levels are awful & I want to get back into city cycling before I commit to that...

UndercoverElephant

I would say that the Charge bikes seem somewhat on the heavy side, even without the hub gears. If you get a light bike, you'll need gears less. That said, I have a light bike (see sig), and I use my gears too.

NGale

bluefoam wrote:

I'm looking of a good bike for knocking around the city. I really like the look of fixies - flat bars, skinny tubes & simple designs & I want to get a geared bike with a similar look...

I was looking at the specialized sirrus or globe vienna, but then I found this, which seems to tick a lot of boxes for me:http://www.focus-bikes.de/index.php?id=23&L=0&R=1&tx_dcwproductdbfe_pi1[cat_id]=16&tx_dcwproductdbfe_pi1[pr_id]=133&cHash=79b2d641df352574af8601b49d939510

Anyone have suggestions for a similar type bike? Hub gears would look cool on a bike like this too, but would the weight be an issue?

Trek 7.5.

bluefoam

Thanks NGale, but its moving slightly away from what I'm looking for. I'm amazed that there aren't more hub geared bikes that aren't retro...