Gran Royale is an affiliate of Eastern Bikes, the BMX brand. Gran Royale has indeed been making the kind of bikes we're interested in: simple, inexpensive, and eye-catching. They remind me of the old Schwinn 3-speeds.
The Aristocrat is a 3-speed with a Shimano Nexus hub, coaster brakes, rack and bottle mounts, chainguards and fenders. It's currently offered on amazon.com for $550. Here's a look:
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| Click for big. Credit: Gran Royale website. |
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Then there's the one-speed Union Flyer:
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| Gran Royale Union Flyer. Credit: Gran Royale website |
In addition to these models, Gran Royale also has two fixed gear (or freewheel, your choice) models: the Lurker and the Creeper.
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4 comments:
Oh dear.
On the positive side, these bikes appear to be available only throug ha network of Independent Bicycle Dealers (IBDs, a.k.a. "bike shops"), as opposed to some of the sketchy mail-order outfits that have popped up in recent years.
On the down-side, the "Dealers" page has headings for all 50 states, but not for the District of Columbia. As long as this is the case, I insist on giving them a bad review!
I'm new to looking for a bicycle and have a lot of bad luck in the past because funds are limited and I don't know much about bikes. I'm looking for something that will be reliable and is good for regular riding but I don't intend to use it as my primary transportation. I also need it to be light so that I will ride it (hauling a 50 lbs bike up and down 2 flights of stairs=never riding). Does anyone recommend this brand? Or another brand that I should consider around the same price point?
See also my in-depth review of the Union Flyer on my own blog.
There seem to be at least two (if not three) different models of the Gran Royale Aristocrat being marketed (with the same specification). Look for differences in the fork, slant of the top tube, type of seat, fender material and rims. All versions appear to use rear facing “track” style drop out which is a poor choice for a bicycle with fenders.
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