Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Indignity of Commuting by Bicycle: Playing With Your Test-Cycle

I'm not what you'd call a "social butterfly." If anything, I'm more of a "social locust" in that I come out roughly once every 17 years, and when I do nobody's particularly pleased to see me. Nevertheless, slimy things with legs do like to crawl upon the slimy sea occasionally, and so it was that I headed into the Manhattan yesterday evening in order to share my unctuousness with the rest of the world.

Now, you may recall that I am in the process of "testing" a so-called "Base Urban RD 1.0" belt-driven bicycle, which looks like this when it's not on some flashy website and some sarcastic bike blogger half-assedly points his "smarting phone" at it instead:

You may also recall that my first impression was less than favorable, owing at least in part to the fact that the ostensibly quiet belt drive instead made a disconcertingly loud and rhythmic "womp womp" sound that evoked, among other things, swamp life and humping.

Also, I find the bike to be more than a little bit ugly.

Well, it would seem that word of my tribulations made it all the way to Gates, the people who make the belt drives, and they were very eager to help me diagnose the problem so that I might, like Pootie Tang, become a believer in the belt. And so it was that I found myself communicating with--on the phone and with my voice no less!--one of the Gates people, who asked me a question that would require me to muster every tool and bit of technical know-how I had at my disposal. The question was:

"Have you checked the chainring bolts?"

No. No I hadn't.

So I checked the chainring bolts. Naturally, one of them was loose, and once I tightened it the noise was diminished considerably--not completely, mind you, but enough so that it is audible only in relative quiet and is not especially bothersome. (Though it might be if I'd actually paid for the bike.) In the spirit of good faith I will continue to examine the problem with the help of the good people at Gates, and I have no doubt the system can be made to operate totally quietly, though I am also compelled to note that whatever out-of-whackness still exists in the drivetrain would be a complete non-issue on a chain-drive bicycle. (In the final analysis, chasing down alignment issues is a lot more time-consuming than lubing your chain.)

It's also kinda noisy when I'm climbing. Maybe the bottom bracket on the Base Urban is not "beefy" enough.

Anyway, with my drivetrain now 75-80% quieter, I decided to use the Base Urban for my jaunt into the city. I know it's going to be a good ride when I spot both a recumbent rider and a rider in bib shorts with no jersey, neither of whom can be bothered to stop at the light or even use the bike lane for that matter:


Eventually I made it to the city, where I secured the Techno Express to a street sign:

I happen to believe that one of the most interesting aspects of cycling is what it can teach you about yourself, and this extends to testing bicycles. In the case of this bicycle, what it's teaching me is that my tastes apparently differ from most people's. As I said earlier, I find this bicycle aesthetically objectionable. If it were a person, it would wear Axe body spray and put its Yankees cap on sideways, and would carry an iPod full of music with Auto-Tune vocals. In fact, the company didn't send me an owner's manual, but I'm reasonably sure that while the belt drive doesn't require lubrication the rider is obliged to wear cologne. I don't wear cologne, and maybe that's why the bike is still creaking.

But while I find this bicycle's circa 2007 "tarck chic" appearance to be tremendously objectionable, apparently nobody else does, and in the short time I've had it strangers have been kvelling over it constantly. At first the compliments seemed to come mostly from recently-arrived Eastern Europeans wearing copious amounts of fragrance, so this was hardly surprising--I'm pretty sure Vladimir Karpets and Dmitry Fofonov would be all over this baby. However, last night as I loitered near it I watched in amazement as people of both genders with no discernible accent went out of their way to look at it and remark to one another how nice it was. Yes, this:

It made me feel exactly the way I used to in middle school when Bon Jovi was popular, and I just assumed there was something wrong with my ears because there's no way they could be hearing what I was hearing and like it.

But looks are looks, and what evokes a mid-aughts urban cycling fad to me is simply a shiny, matching, speedy looking bicycle to your average non-"bike culture"-immersed person. This in itself was something of a revelation to me, since it explains how year after year new cyclists continue to buy impractical and uncomfortable race-inspired (or now messenger-inspired) bikes instead of practical bikes. The simple fact is that a bicycle like this draws the eye, whereas a more utilitarian one doesn't, since people don't have the experience that tends to make utility appear attractive. Consequently, this is what they think a city bike should be. And there's your "Thruster Fixie" at Walmart.

In any case, more important than looks is how it rides. So how does it ride? Well, not all that well. The handling and fit are good, but there's a harsh quality that could maybe have something to do with the wheels and tires, but is definitely enhanced by this saddle:

I realize that saddles are highly subjective, but this is one of the most uncomfortable saddles upon which I've ever perched myself. Have you ever encountered one of those office building plaza ledges in Manhattan that have metal spiky things on them to discourage loiterers, but you're really tired from walking all day so you sit on it anyway? That's what sitting on this feels like. But then again, maybe my posterior is as out of step with the world as the rest of me apparently is, and everyone else will like it.

Obviously it's easy to try a different saddle, and I intend to do so. I'd also like to try a different set of wheels to see if that would improve things, but like most people I don't have too many disc brake internally-geared road wheels laying around. I suppose I could just change the tires and maybe put one of my mountain bike wheels on the front, and I very well may do that. I also have a perverse desire to use the bicycle in a cyclocross race, but that depends on whether knobbies will clear the sublimely unnecessary and brilliantly un-drilled rear brake bridge, which is already pretty close to the tire:

For that matter there's not much clearance up front either:

But I guess there's only one way to find out.

Anyway, here's an obligatory shot of the belt drive:


And one of the Alfine hub:

And one of the guy wearing an accordion who totally blew by me on the way back to the Manhattan Bridge:

Accordions, I should not have to remind you, are now the new messenger bags, which is why you can expect to see a lot of this at the Interbike "Urban Yard" this year.

Still, I enjoyed riding the bike last night. This is partly because it's pretty hard not to enjoy riding a bike, and also because the bike dork in me cannot help nerding out over the drivetrain. It's also nice to not have to worry about getting schmutz on your pants or about your hands getting filthy if you have to change a tube on the way to work, and I think something like this has the potential to be a good all-weather commuter if only the frame weren't so poorly designed. I also still think the $1,750 price is absurd given that this is basically a novelty bike, though you could have had it for free if you took it while I ran into the store on the way home for some eggs:

I was quite surprised when I returned to find that I had missed the top tube completely, and insofar as I was not even remotely intoxicated, I can only blame the frame's vexing design.

118 comments:

theEel said...

first WEdnEsDay.

Perry said...

HA I WIn!

g said...

top 3

Kenny Banya said...

Kenny Fu##ing Banya

Perry said...

Damn...damn...damn. My chain fell off.

Anonymous said...

YO TOP TEN BOOYH!

Esteemed Commenter DaddoOne said...

sex?

Anonymous said...

CRAP BIKE
GOOD REVU

Unknown said...

Top 10? Maybe! :-)

Anonymous said...

YO TOP TEN BOOYH!

21st Century Cave Art said...

Fixie skidding to nearly first.

Utilitarianism said...

". . . people don't have the experience that tends to make utility appear attractive"

Yes. And sensible shoes are often dismissed too easily as well.

Some people think of both as mere accessories.

pebes said...

you're hitting the right notes today. bon jovi bad, minor threat good.

RB1 said...

its bent.

crosspalms said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's locked his bike to thin air. I'm glad we both still have the bikes, too.

mikeweb said...

Top whatevah.

grog said...

You missed the top tube.
I missed the babe.
HATE LOVE
TEST CYCL
SORE SEAT
TOPT WNTY

You missed when I said...

Don't blame the bike.

Terre Haute Karl said...

Tommy used to work on the docks. The union's been on strike; he's down on his luck. It's tough.

PawnShop said...

I think you mean 'social cicada'. Locusts are on a shorter periodicity, no?

Rol.an.do said...

yes! what's with all the bloody accordions, I keep seeing these Betty Boop types with them strapped to their backs! The horror.

Gaffer Smythe said...

Ah, the Shimano self eating hub. In 300 miles the tangs on the hub will egg out the grooves in the sprocket (pulley?) nicely. Then it will be REALLY noisy.

johnson said...

schweeet beltline pic!

Fingerbang Assistant said...

Bib shorts no jersey? I thought BSNJ was Bike Snob New Jersey.

Evan said...

Is it the camera angle or are some of the spokes on those wheels uncrossed, while others are crossed? That can't be good for the disc brakes.

hillbilly said...

You tried to get it stolen, didn't you?!

Anonymous said...

didja know the Thruster "fixie" has a freewheel?

Anonymous said...

Turn the stem over so that it's less sit-up-and-beg; that'll help the looks.

hey nonny mouse

Anonymous said...

Wanna see my beefy bottom bracket?

-balls.

Grump said...

The bike has everything you need.
High rise stem so you can see over delivery vans, strange spoke lacing that makes it almost impossible to replace the rim, and a "clipless" saddle, so you don't need SPD's.

Anonymous said...

I have a question about the Base Urban Rd 1.0, why?

SingleSpeedMark said...

I know you'll ding me for this, but as I looked at the first picture you posted, and without having read the rest of the post, I thought to myself: "Self, that's a cool looking bike."
But then, maybe I'm a just-behind-the-trend kinda person. If so, I'm okay with that.

david B said...

My Head Talks ...

both of them

Fred's dead baby, Fred's dead... said...

I killed myself on a climb today. Does that mean Fred's dead baby, Fred's dead's dead...?

Unknown said...

I don't get the spoke lacing either. It looks like Frank Lloyd Wright was the wheel-builder, which would explain the price tag (and maybe the uncomfortable saddle).

Unknown said...

Link loser.

saddle

Anonymous said...

Snobby - just bought a low end
(1,000) road bike with a $2 saddle. The manufacturers do this. Even the high end bikes have crappy saddles so you have to go out and buy a better one.

cycle

Isolation Helmet said...

Unfortunately the belt drive is what makes the bike cost so much. According to the latest review of the newest gates belt system over at 29inches.com, the new gates system (with the center groove) is good but expensive.

I think I'll stick with chains.

Etherhuffer said...

Consider replacing the belt with knitted and knotted organic Alpaca wool. Hipsters can donate a hat for you to start with. Alpace organic rope chains work for me every time.

Marcel Da Chump said...

The disorienting effect of the double top tube configuration may explain the mis-lock.

Matt DeBlass said...

You mentioned that the brakes felt mushy for Avids. Are they, in fact, just regular BB7s (designed for MTB levers) mated with road levers? If so, there's a difference in cable pull, mechanical advantage (yadda, yadda mechanicspeak jargon), that would probably make for a mushy feeling, just like using v-brakes with road levers. Bad spec.

As for the belt drive, Alan at ecovelo loves the things. I've never got to mess with one, but have a chain-driven 8-speed on my commuter rig which is pretty awesome (and apparently hurricane-proof!)

Marcel Da Chump said...

Oops. I'm glad Pebes reminded me : Bon Jovi very,very bad.

Blog Drafter said...

Heavens to Lob that's a good looking bicycle!

Corporate Brit announcer said...

Hey- Andy Schleck, and Andy Schleck, and someone who once knew Andy Schleck, and Andy Schleck, ect. ect. ect. Don't worry, I'm paid to say Andy Schleck every 90 seconds or I'm fired. (or retired)

Esteemed Commenter DaddoOne said...

i find nothing wrong with the general IDEA of a bike that looks like that (although that deep-v look is starting to get on my nerves) but there are better and worse executions of it.

this is a bad execution - the lacing of the wheels is stupid, the bent tube, the "double tube" are dumb and dumb, the stem/angle are dumb,...etc. etc.

ugly for $500; shonda, double shonda for $1700

CommieCanuck said...

Yes, Bon Jovi music sucked, but yes, JBJ got laid more than you and I and half of New Jersey combined. It's why he eventually went into the baby carriage business.

As for that saddle, it's clearly a vagina.

Anonymous said...

hey snob, remember this woman?

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/the-road-less-traveled/Content?oid=2967113

CommieCanuck said...

I'm not sure of the point to the superfluous top tube either, maybe the extra tube is to insert into the saddle/vagina? Can it make fresh pasta?
Good bike for people with three nipples.

Anonymous said...

snob, the instruction manual (which you are missing) says you should mount an old school bike pump underneath the top tube for the full tri-top-tube (TTT) illusion.

and all the people said "a-meh!"

Anonymous said...

Commie at 2:40, 2:44 -- It's a vulva, dammit! Learn some anatomy!

Sa-da-tay said...

You can't beat a ho wid a belt...dey like that shit

Xak said...

Do not miss the U

Park for a dollar a day

Even ugly bikes bling

_______

Like the haiku? I'd feel betrayed by the subliminal marketing if it wasn't such a good point.

Matt said...

It is a weird layout. The novelty spoking doesn't annoy me particularly, the clipless saddle (for the fully-equipped gentlemen, might be a loose fit for Lance) doesn't bother me, but I absolutely don't get the tight fork and brake bridge clearances. If it's supposed to be a semi-practical bike, wouldn't room for a beefy tire AND a fender make sense? Maybe those belts don't rust because when it rains, the lack of fenders compels the owner to take the bus.

I do like internally-geared hubs, though. Got a bike with a Nexus 8-speed redband (<--redband was very exciting to the IGH enthusiast until the Alfines came out) and the gearing would suit most people most of the time.

CommieCanuck said...

No way, that bike saddle looks nothing like a boxy Swedish car.

Anonymous said...

Belt-driven panties!

I am a curious engine said...

"The simple fact is that a bicycle like this draws the eye, whereas a more utilitarian one doesn't,..."

Leave it out tonight parked on the the street, and see whos eyes are drawn to it. I bet they have a bolt cutter, and will relive you of your burden now that you have fixed it.

skink said...

"have you ever, ever, ever
really, really, really
loved a woman"

Turn that sappy shit off, she said.
That's when I knew she'd be a great lay.

bikesgonewild said...

...isolation helmet...just left a message for you (phone)...turns out we be neighbors...

...deer park, fx to sfdrake, sa = 16 pedal strokes...

...see ya when yer back in town...

Hungry Panda said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locust

"Several cultures throughout the world are known to consume insects. Even Islamic and Jewish dietary laws, which prohibit the consumption of other insects, allow some locusts to be eaten.[22][23] See also: Kosher locust.
Professor Arnold van Huis at Wageningen University in Netherlands says locusts can produce 1 kg of protein from 2 kg of fodder, compared to a cow needing 10 kg of fodder to produce the same amount of protein. Also of benefit, locusts do not produce greenhouse gases and do not require antibiotics.[24]"

Jesus, I had now idea you could eat them and stay Kosher.

I think urban farming has a new crop. I will stick to bamboo please.

Salty and Sore said...

Yup.

Adding fenders would destroy the look of this bike. The muddy butt-stripe is part of the overall aesthetic.

But I don't know if it's a total waste of time. It's the Wedge Sandal of the bike world. Noisy, funny-looking, and hard to fine-tune or use efficiently, but evokes a lot of random compliments.

Just be sure to ride 'colla' up'. Neo-preppie with full-sleeve ink. No, it doesn't make sense, but afterall....whatevs.

Anonymous said...

"Ah, the Shimano self eating hub. In 300 miles the tangs on the hub will egg out the grooves in the sprocket (pulley?) nicely. Then it will be REALLY noisy."

And I thought I was the only one.

Thank good, there are others who find it useless.

bikesgonewild said...

...skink...surprised you'd even play that with a new chick around...

...that is so a "you're not gonna get laid unless you're with a long time girlfriend & you're both in a sappy, romantic-ky mood" kinda song anyway...

...gotta say though, i do like the spanish-y guitar 'cuz i'm a sucker for that kinda thing...

bikesgonewild said...

...hungry panda...mmm yum, locusts...but like turkey or chicken, i prefer the dark meat...

...just sayin'...

Esteemed Commenter DaddoOne said...

i can't knock boots to music with words

skink said...

"hang the deejay
hang the deejay
hang the deejay

hang the deejay
hang the deejay"

Bikewritercat said...

Extra points for the self-deprecating lock picture. Priceless. Which is better than bikeless.

Anonymous said...

I'd take the Miyata over the belt drive any day of the week.

Anonymous said...

Salty and sore, I hope that the muddy butt stripe is not part of the overall aesthetic of your underpants.

Anonymous said...

Get a car faggot

ashcroftchops said...

Single speed and belt driven to boot? 'Arse' i say 'Arse!'

bikesgonewild said...

...gotta admit, skink...i'm not 'hip' enough to know if that's a song lyric or a sentiment...

...i'm old school..."...two potatoes & a microwave..." - guy from uzbeckistan...

crosspalms said...

That's a new one on me, but I'm guessing a car faggot would be a bamboo bicycle (the bundle of sticks for fuel) shoved under an SUV and set on fire. Sorry, Hungry Panda, but it's for the greater good.

Anonymous said...

The White saddle on this bicycle looks like the Mask From the SCREAM Movies.

Hungry Panda said...

http://gothamist.com/2011/08/31/brooklyn_cyclists_beware_flying_bri.php

Happy times are here again.

Bricks are not good to eat.

Very Hungry Panda said...

Crosspalms,

I agree bamboo is for eating, certainly not for building bikes, cars, bridges, buildings, or societies or cultures.

That beefy bottom bracket is just a waste of beef, give it to some carnivor.

Anonymous said...

Brother bgw, you're hipper than the most cats.

Lyrics from PANIC by the Smiths.


I thought Giuliani arrested all the car faggots.

Anonymous said...

"lubing a chain is less time than aligning the belt." And we retro-grouches went, "AMEH!"

Anonymous said...

@Xak - doesn't work as a haiku; too many syllables in the last line (5-7-6 rather than 5-7-5).

@bikesgonewild - the lyric is from that gladiolus-throwing tosspot Morrisey's old band, The Smiths.

hey nonny mouse

bikesgonewild said...

...anon 5:15pm...thank you...i try to remain somewhat au courant simply because life is full cool new stuff as well as the cool old stuff...

...while i've mentioned certain friends in the music biz, here's one for you...

...'member X ???...john doe has been my neighbor for the last year or so...didn't even realize 'til another musician buddy (them, not me) pointed it out...

...john doe & X are doing some local-ish (california) touring & john & jill sobule who wrote 'i kissed a girl' back in '95 just collabo-ed on an album called "a day at the pass" to nice reviews...

pebes said...

Daddo- there isn't a song i CAN'T knock boots to. lyrics, instrumentals, fast, slow, even some motha fuckin polka, whatever.

oom pah pah oom pah pah

Anonymous said...

bgw -- next time you're shootin' the breeze with the old Zappa sidemen, ask them about Mike Keneally, or go seek him out yourself if you're interested. Incredibly versatile, prodigiously talented, and apparently thoroughly decent.

Greg LeMond said...

Trek did it way better for a grand.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/commute/soho/soho/#

skink said...

bgw,
I'm an emerald of envy.

Anonymous said...

@ anon 5:46

Haiku need not follow strict 5-7-5

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

4fuxake said...

My highschool girlfriend had a blue Vulva.

leroy said...

Oh sure, Interbike is having an urban yard sale.

Honestly, how gullible do I look?

Where are they going to get an urban front lawn to put out their stuff on card tables with little hanging price tags?

Marcel Da Chump said...

Damn right I saw the Smiths...Hudson River pier, summer of '86. Rushed up there from my first post-college job in the Wall St area. Wolfed down a couple dirty water dogs, washed them down with a quart of Olde English 800, and puked my guts out during the opening act ( some proto-Sinead O'connor singer named Phranc); smoked a joint and totally dug Johnny Marr on that guitar.
I can still conjure up the after-taste of that vomit.

balls her sack said...

those metal spiky things aren't there to discourage loiterers; they're there to discourage skateboarding/bmxing.

Anonymous said...

@pebes Play more polka or Imafukingonnaoompapaya!

Anonymous said...

"Jesus, I had now idea you could eat them and stay Kosher."

Points to the Panda for internal irony!

jet said...

that is a hilarious attempt at locking up a bike, snob. The bike shop near me has one of these babies in the window and I don't like the top tube at all. I was intrigued by the drivetrain but they do sound like a PITA to get running perfectly.

screaming skull said...

Anon 4:52 is a car faggot.

He trolls the internet,

looking for gaspipes to suck.

--Haiku--

Anonymous said...

Smell the Glove

JDH said...

Surprising that the "Gates people" would refer to the "belt ring" as a "chain ring". As a mechani-wocal kinda guy, it really pisses me off when the folks in "support" don't know shit from apple butter.

The Cat Whisperer said...

A Gates belt is never quiet. It always hums. Don't let anyone tell you different.

The Cat Whisperer said...

Perhaps your bike was still there after coming out of the store because it is FUGLY! The lock fooled them,I know.

Burt Reynolds 531 said...

That appears to be nothing more than gimmicky hole spacing on the rims. Looks "cool" (to Bon Jovi fans maybe) but makes truing a pain in the ass. The perspective makes the bunches of four spokes look odd depending on what part of the wheel they are on relative to the camera. I am surprised to see they are 36 spoke wheels. Anyway, the spokes are probably all the same length so replacing the extra heavy rims should not be a big deal. A lighter rim with a more appropriate tire for commuting would weigh about the same and be plenty strong, but then there isn't much room for that.

$1700? Wow. A belt drive costs a grand at retail?

Anonymous said...

Holy cow, I picked the Minor Threat ref, even before I clicked on it. That redeems the beefy bottom bracket video. Just.

Bobby said...

Sir Snob, esteemed bicycle tester!

There's just something that rings as really, well, strange. On the Base web pages, just WHY do they refer to the tubing as "Cro-Molly [sic] Airplane Tubing"? Really? AIRPLANE tubing?

Come on. Especially at this price point, is gives one pause for wonder. What's next, something like "Dude! It's welded with our mad skilz!" could be listed next.

Just sayin'

Boomhauer said...

If it were a person, it would wear Axe body spray and put its Yankees cap on sideways, and would carry an iPod full of music with Auto-Tune vocals.

Damnmanthat'ssomefunnyshitrightthereItellyawhat.

bikesgonewild said...

...anon 6:09pm...just read about keneally...i'll definitely search his work out on u-tube...

...the list of artists he's worked with is astounding...i'm a fan of steve vai but as good as satriani is, he doesn't hold my ear for long...

...@skink...know what's awesomely cool & is gonna 'up' your emerald factor ???...john doe & his lady ride their bikes around town all the time...

...those guys fit right in 'cuz they're like a lot of us around here, no matter what age...

...we all have & use motor vehicles but for local shit, down to the store, over to the bank, whatever, it's hop on a bike & spend a little extra time pedaling around, enjoying the town & the people...

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksYcKDIHUMU

BGW, in case you're still checking the thread, the above is a good intro, tho' the sound quality isn't the best.

Check out the simultaneous guitar/keyboard solo.

Oh, if you know 'em, say hi to Jaquie P. and Charlie C. from Jaquie's oldest friend's husband in VT. Fortunately we're high and dry.

UrbanRidingTips said...

Dig that weird double top tube and the high gloss black paint.

Don't dig: the stem, belt drive, internal hub; kinky down tube


That bike was already shot through the heart by the time he rang you about the chainring bolts.
he was too late/
you gave the bike/
A Bad name.

TCNO XPRS

ce said...

I ride these streets, a loaded squeezebox on my back
I've seen a million faces and I've Hot Carled them all
I'm an axman, on a steel heap of horse crap I ride
I'm not wanted, fred on a bike
Fred on a bike
Fred on a bike
Fred on a bike

ce said...

Btw, Yehuda Moon reached Woo-hoo speed of 27mph today (not Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo speed by any measure). Apparently. Says a friend of mine who sometimes reads that comic. Actually, more of an acquaintance really.

skink said...

bgw, well, AIN'T LOVE GRAND!

Benny Kanya. said...

Freebie!

ant3rd

Trek Lepperd said...

"Urban cycling culture is here to stay and it's providing our industry with an incredibly dynamic landscape of products and lifestyle identities," said Interbike managing director Pat Hus.

Good gawd!

Unknown said...

PUTI TANG

DIMcyclist said...

Unlike the Linus, at least it's still made from CroMo... or (yay!) "airplane tubing" as their site deftly calls it.

Anonymous said...

maybe retensioning the wheels would make it better, on top of other set of tyres

Ayasha Kieth said...

Hey snob.. Your bike is really cool... and I think it's more comfortable riding that bicycle .. pretty awesome...


-----
If you have a truck we have a Bushwacker Fender Flares for you. We also have Best tops for your jeeps. | All about car

Anonymous said...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer say's kill the Nazi bastards.

buy cycling jerseys said...

LOLz at this "If it were a person, it would wear Axe body spray and put its Yankees cap on sideways, and would carry an iPod full of music with Auto-Tune vocals"

The People of Detroit said...

One of my favorite posts. I appreciate the sheering honesty in your review. Also, accidentally not locking the $1700 bike = classic.

Rem said...

Bit late to the party here but just thought I'd say I've got the fixed gear iteration (Base Urban FX 1.0) and its an awesome ride. Love the bike, I'm assuming that part of the problems you've had may be more to do with the fact that belt drive technology is relatively new so perhaps the tension and other logistics weren't set up properly for you.

Fixie Bikes said...

That's a nice build

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