Urbana

An Urbana and a limo, both looking sharp, both illegally parked. Courtesy Urbana.

My first thought after checking out Urbana is that it looks a lot like the Capital Bikeshare ("CaBi") bikes, which I believe are also made in Canada. This observation is intended as a compliment - CaBi bikes aren't sitting unused in someone's garage. They are outside in the elements and are ridden by multiple riders on multiple trips every single day.

Haniya from Urbana has been after us to test ride an Urbana, and I promised I would, but I haven't had time recently. The fact that she is urging a test ride is a good sign; it means she thinks the bike will sell itself. Urbana is now available in the United States; in D.C. you can find them at the relatively new bike shop Bicycle Stations (which should not be confused with the CaBi bike stations).

While we have not given the Urbana a full test ride, it has been tested by other bike bloggers, including one of our favorites -- "Yokota Fritz." He has written about Urbana on Cyclelicious and Commute by Bike. He gives it high marks, and in fact he's commented that if he had to be limited to just one bike, it would be the Urbana. You can also find a review at Cycling for Beginners.

Here are some promotional materials and the specifications that Haniya sent to my co-blogger Tom:

Specs. Click for big. Courtesy Urbana.

If you have an Urbana or have tried one out, let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Ye Olde English 3-speeds

Meet Binnie. Courtesy: Mark.

Binnie is a 1930's Raleigh 3-speed that belongs to Mark in Charlottesville.

Most English 3-speeds were built with fenders and chaincases or chainguards, and an internal gear hub that can withstand the wet English weather.  They were built for transportation, and they were built to last. That's why so many of them are still around.

Nice touch - Binnie has a pump holder. Courtesy: Mark.

For more on English 3-speeds, check out Sheldon Brown's website, or better yet, listen to his September 25, 2005 podcast.

Linus Bags

While we're on the topic of Linus, did you know they also have a chic line of bike bags? 

This is from their 2011 catalogue:

From the 2011 Linus Catalogue. Click for big. Courtesy Linus Bikes.

Linus Roadster 8

Linus Roadster 8. Courtesy Linus Bikes.

Linus Bikes has added this 8-speed roadster to its lineup up of simple and elegant bikes inspired by the French bicycle designs of the '50s and '60s (see our previous post about Linus here).

Full specs from the 2011 Linus Catalogue. Click for big. Courtesy Linus Bikes

Gran Royale

Sometimes readers write to us about bikes that might interest us. Daniel recently emailed to let us know that "Gran Royale has added two new and refreshingly basic-looking bicycles, the Union Flyer and Cogsville, to complement the Aristocrat they introduced last year I believe."

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:




Click for big. Credit: Gran Royale website.

As Daniel mentioned, Gran Royale is now offering another 3-speed, the Cogsville.

Gran Royale Cogsville. Credit: Gran Royale website.

The Cogsville is all steel, and like the Aristocrat, it comes with a Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub and coaster brake, rack and bottle mounts, chainguard and fenders.  According to the Gran Royale website, it comes in black, yellow, red, blue or green, and in "medium" or "large" sizes.

Then there's the one-speed Union Flyer:

Gran Royale Union Flyer. Credit: Gran Royale website

The Union Flyer has the same features as the Cogsville, except it's a single speed. Gran Royale aptly refers to the Union Flyer as their "working class hero" bike.

In addition to these models, Gran Royale also has two fixed gear (or freewheel, your choice) models: the Lurker and the Creeper.

The Gran Royale Lurker and Creeper. Credit: Gran Royale website.

I think Gran Royale has done its marketing research. People love colorful bikes.