Marin Fairfax SC6 DLX

The Fairfax SC6 comes in any color you want so long as it's black. Credit: marinbikes.com.

The Marin Fairfax SC6 DLX comes with an 11-speed Shimano Alfine internal gear hub, Gates carbon belt drive, hydraulic disc brakes, aluminum frame and fenders, an integrated rear rack, and a Super Nova E3 lighting system powered by a front dynamo hub. It retails for about $2400.

Edwin mentioned this bike when he did his roundup of bikes that come with lights, aka, Lights for the Rest of Us.  Unlike the Trek Lync, the Fairfax SC6 light system is battery free.

Here are the specs:

Frame: Series Three 6061 Aluminum, 700c Wheels, Eccentric Bottom Bracket, Relieved Head Tube, Internal Cable Routing, Post Mount Disc Specific Forged Dropouts, Belt Drive Compatible

Front Fork: RFE Carbon with Alloy Steerer tube

Rear Suspension: Drive Train Specs

Crankset: Shimano Alfine With 50t Gates CenterTrack Front Sprocket and CNC Ring Guard

Shift Lever: Shimano Alfine 11 Rapid Fire Plus Derailleur

Cassette: Gates CDX CenterTrack 22t CNC Stainless Steel Rear Sprocket

Bottom Bracket: Shimano HollowTech II

Integrated Chain: Gates CDX CenterTrack Belt, 115 Tooth

Hub Rear: Shimano Alfine 11 Speed Internal Gear Hub, 409% Gear Ratio
 
Hub Front: Shimano Alfine Dynamo, 6V-3W

Rim: Maddux SR300 700c, 30mm Tall with Sleeve Joint, 32 Hole

Spokes Nipples: 14 Gauge Black Stainless

Tires: Continental Sport Contact II 700x32c with Safety System Puncture Protection And Reflective Sidewall

Brakes Front: Shimano T445 Hydraulic Disc, 6” Rotor

Brakes Rear: Shimano T445 Hydraulic Disc, 6” Rotor

Brake Levers: Shimano T445 Hydraulic Cockpit

Handlebar: Double Butted Flat Top, 6061 Alloy, OS-31.8mm, 700mm Wide

Grips: Ergon GS1 Locking Ergonomic

Stem: Marin OS Alloy Threadless, 31.8mm Bar Clamp

Headset: FSA Orbit C, 1 1/8

Seatpost: Marin 3D Forged with Alloy Micro Adjust, 15mm Offset, 400mm Length

Saddle: Ergon SM30 Comp Accessories

Pedals: CNC Sealed Bearing, 2.5mm pin

Rack: Racktime Custom Integrated Match-It QL3, With Snap-It and QL3 Mounting Systems For Ortlieb And Racktime Accessory Mounting

Trek Lync

The Trek Lync has lights front and back. Photos courtesy of Trekbikes.com

The 2015 Trek Lync 5 27-speed will go for about $1320; the Lync 3 9-speed will go for around $990. Trek calls the Lync a "dedicated, low-maintenance, tricked-out commuter bike."

Let's start by giving Trek some credit for finally producing an off-the-shelf bike with an integrated light system. These are not dynamo hub powered lights, but are instead powered by a lithium ion battery that is rechargeable by USB. It will be interesting to see the longevity of these batteries. 

In any event, when Edwin did his comprehensive post "Lights for the Rest of Us," Trek was one of the big guys that was noticeably absent from the bikes with lights market. So, welcome aboard Trek.

I have minor criticisms of the Lync model. First, why don't they come with integrated racks, like the apparently discontinued Trek Belleville.  And why can't it be as stylish as the Belleville? And, as always, I'm not a fan of straight bars that only allow one hand position.

The bike media has greeted the Lync with enthusiasm, including this preview by the Bicycle Times.

Specs for the Lync 5:

Colors Matte Trek Black

Frame Alpha Gold Aluminum with Lync on-board lighting system, DuoTrap S compatible, internal cable routing

Fork Lync, Alloy

Sizes 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25"

Front Hub Formula DC20 alloy

Rear Hub Formula DC22 alloy

Rims Bontrager TLR disc, 32-hole

Tires Bontrager H2 Hard-Case Lite, reflective, 700x32c

Shifters Shimano Acera M390, 9 speed

Front derailleur Shimano Acera

Rear derailleur Shimano Deore

Crank Shimano Acera M391, 48/36/26 w/chainguard

Cassette Shimano HG20, 11-34, 9 speed

Pedals Wellgo track-style alloy

Chain KMC X9

Saddle Bontrager H1

Seatpost Bontrager SSR, 2-bolt head, 27.2mm, 12mm offset

Handlebar Bontrager Low Riser, 31.8mm, 15mm rise

Stem Bontrager Elite Blendr, w/computer & light mounts, 31.8mm, 7 degree

Headset Slimstak, semi-cartridge bearings, sealed

Brakeset Shimano M355 hydraulic disc

Grips Bontrager Satellite Elite, lock-on, ergonomic

Extras Lync front and rear lights, full-coverage color-matched fenders, chain keeper

Legacy Rambler

When we last talked about Legacy Frameworks (it was last year), the Chicago framebuilder had put out two thoughtfully designed complete bike models - a diamond frame and a step-through. Now Legacy has refined those models with the Rambler series, which includes a step-through, a diamond frame, and a disc brake model. They go for around $1,750, but you should contact Legacy for details.

Rambler Step-Through.

Rambler Diamond

Rambler diamond with disc brakes. All photos courtesy of Legacy Frameworks.

There are some nice touches here. The following come standard: belt drive, full fenders, drum or disc brakes, rack options, double-walled rims and (are you there Edwin?) hub-generated lighting.

Busch and Muller LED headlight. Taillight also included.

Check out that powder-coated finish. Legacy offers these as singlespeeds or with up to 15 gears with internal gear hubs.

Nice looking bikes, and they're designed, manufactured, and assembled in Chicago.

#1: Fenders

Fenders keep you clean and dry when the road is muddy or wet.

There are 4 main kinds:

Painted steel, Stainless steel, Aluminum alloy (painted or polished), and thermoplastic.

Steel is least likely to crack, and less likely to dent than aluminum, but risks rusting. Painted steel fenders come with many cheaper bikes, such as beach cruisers, as well as on high-quality European city bikes, where the underlying metal may be stainless steel or galvanized to resist rust.

Stainless steel, polished fenders are beautiful and very durable, but expensive and slightly heavier than alloy or plastic fenders. They can also be more difficult to install.

Aluminum alloy fenders are common due to their light weight, and good looks. High quality polished alloy fenders look as good as stainless steel and weigh less. They are more easily dented or bent, however, and may crack after many thousands of miles of vibration. Some are difficult to install.

Plastic fenders are dent-resistent, flexible, and fairly cheap. They may be the best option on bikes that are often parked at crowded racks, and they are the most commonly available as an add-on. They are easy to install, because they easily bend into place and holes can be drilled with little effort.

In general, black (plastic or painted) and silver (plastic or polished) are the most readily available colors. Fortunately, silver or black will match almost any bike.

If you want fenders of a particular color to match your bike's frame, it is best to buy them with the bike. It is possible to have aluminum or steel fenders painted or powder coated to match the frame later, but it is an extra step that adds time and expense.

For full protection from spraying water, curved fenders should be at least 1/2 inch or 10 mm wider than your tires. 1.5" x 26" tires work well with 2" (50 mm) fenders, for example. If the tires are too wide, a little water may spray off the edge of the tire, but most will still be caught by the center of the fender. There should be at least 1/2 inch or 10 mm of clearance between the tire and fender, to prevent rocks, mud or snow from clogging things up.

Many plastic fenders, especially those designed for road bikes and "clip-on" finders, are not long enough to keep feet dry and the bike clean. The front fender should come and close to the ground as possible; those that have a rubber or leather mud-flap can come closest without limiting clearance. On the rear wheel, a short fender may not bother you, but it will spray mud and water on bike riders behind you!

Even worse are the flat fenders which have recently been stylish. Flat strips of bamboo or metal may look nice and "minimalist", but will drip off quite a bit of water to the side while you ride.

Full-length fenders, designed to fit your bike, will make it much more pleasant to ride when the road is wet and muddy, and will keep your bike in good condition.

BULLITT Cargo Bike

BULLITT Red

While a number of North American designers have developed "longtail" cargo bikes, where the kids or freight are carried in back, the Dutch and Danish prefer keeping things up front. LARRY VS HARRY, a shop in Copenhagen, designed the BULLITT to be a relatively light-weight and speedy way to transport cargo and children.

Most of the models come standard with a 7 or 8-speed internal gear hub in the rear, disc brake in the front, a custom kick-stand and fenders. Derailleur gearing and e-assist are also available. The riding position is somewhat leaned-forward, especially for taller riders, and there is no step-thru frame option. The modern-looking aluminum frame is meant to be extra stiff, to prevent twisting even with heavy loads.

I had a chance to test-ride this bike alone and with kids in the front (in a version that has an added kid seat); the handling is similar to a road bike, with responsive (or twitchy) steering which takes a minute to get used to. Disc brakes are a good idea on a bike meant to carry weight at high speeds.

These bikes have been reviewed by:
Totcycle
Josh Volk
Lovely Bicycle
Momentum Magazine

Many of the Bullitts in the USA are sold by Splendid Cycles in Portland, Oregon, but they are also available in a few other cities. The bike comes as shown, but most people pay for a child seat or cargo box to be added, and an electric bike version with a lithium battery pack is also very popular. A frameset costs $2350 alone. The complete bike with Alfine 8-speed hub is $3500. The e-bike version with a BionX rear hub is a grand more, $4500. Dynamo hubs and lights are an option.

Due to the relatively narrow cargo deck (no wider than the handlebars), one child can fit easily, but only small kids can double up.  Winther, another Danish bike company, makes an adaptation of the Bullitt frame called the Wallaroo, which has a wider child carrier included, to fit two kids side-by-side. However, there is only one current USA dealer, JC Lind in Chicago.

BULLITT Specifications (ALFINE 8 version):

shifter	Alfine 8 speed
rear drivetrain	Alfine 8 speed
crank	Alfine
bottom bracket	Alfine
chain	SRAM 9-speed
brake levers	Avid
brakes front	Avid BB7
brake rear	Avid BB7
rotors	Shimano centerlock
Headset	FSA Pig
stem	Civia Midtown 25.4
handlebar	Civia
grips	Civia Ergo
seatpost	FSA
saddle	LvH
pedal	Wellgo Platform
fenders	20″ front/26″ rear black
tire front	Schwalbe Marathon 20×2
tire rear	Schwalbe Marathon 26×2
tube front	Slime tube 20″
tube rear	Slime tube 26″
rim strip	Schwalbe rim liners
wheel front	Alfine/Alex DM24 rim/stainless spokes
wheel rear	Alfine/Alex DM24 rim/stainless spokes

BULLITT Geometry: