The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat

[sienamystic]

So. The bike shop I wasn't sure about turned out to have a bike that's 99% perfect for me. It's called the Africabike and is made by Kona. You can read about them here. IT's not just a bike - it's a bike with a mission - to help homecare workers in Africa reach AIDS patients. To that end, it's built like a tank, comes with a large basket and rear rack, an integrated tire lock, three speeds, tires that are puncture-resistant, and a big seat that fits my oversized rump very comfortably. The manufacturer sends a bike to Africa for every two sold in the US. And the price? $320 bucks. The only thing holding me back from buying it on the spot was the fact that the coaster brakes were a little weird for me and I'm not sure how I feel about them. But the reviews I'm reading have nothing but praise for the thing, and it comes with a decent warranty and seems to be the ideal street cruiser.

But I was set on being a good comparison shopper, so I toddled back to the other bike shop (the appealingly named Moose's Tooth) to re-test ride the $330 Trek that I liked so much. Only to find out that they sold that one, and have another in the back - but the sale price no longer applies and I'd have to pay $360 for it. ARRGH. So he's building the one in the back, and will have it for me to test out this Sunday or Monday.

As I think about it, I'm leaning more strongly towards the Africabike. Price plays a big part in it, but I think it's a bike that'll do what I want it to do. And I think I can adjust myself to the coaster brakes. I'll think on it and hopefully come to a decision soon.

Comments

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Sounds similar to Dutch city bikes. Lower end ones often do have coaster brakes, though I wouldn't expect them for $300. Then again, they work fine(and I didn't have too much troube getting used to them) and I wouldn't expect puncture-resistant tires at that range either, and those would be a nice addition.

There are a few other things Dutch city bikes have, specifically because they are designed for commuting around a city, that I think might be useful for you. These could possibly be add-ons if the bike doesn't already have them - back pannier bags, sealed gears, and fenders over the tires. The latter two features are to prevent the bike kicking up dirt on to your work clothes while you're riding in in the morning and they work very well.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Ah, looking at the picture I see it has both sealed gears and front and rear fenders. One thing: I'd suggest a chain lock in addition to the frame lock. A) People in the US aren't used to looking for the latter and b) determined thieves, not realizing how hard a frame lock is to remove, could still carry away the whole bike.

By the way, that "strengthened rear rack"? Is because in places where bikes are normal transportation passengers often ride sidesaddle on those.

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, one of the reviews said "it resembles what a Soviet factory might have turned out if ordered to reproduce the classic Dutch bicycle exactly" - the Soviet part being, apparently, because the thing is built like a tank. And I definitely would get an additional lock, especially parking the bike on campus where opportunistic bike thieves are known to lurk.

Apparently coaster brakes are one less thing likely to go wrong, making the bike more low-maintenance. I like the fact that so much comes standard on the bike - the basket, the rear rack, the fenders, etc - and since I'm not going to be doing more than tootling around the city on it (maybe the occasional ride on a bike path, but no trail riding or races, certainly!) it really seems like the ideal choice.