Bowery Lane Bicycles make what the Rivendell folks would call "MUSA" products. Made in the USA. These bikes are made in NYC (with American Steel, they note) in the same factory that cranks out Bikes for The Rest of Us made by Worksman Bicycles. So you'll pay a little more than a Chinese-made bike but you'll sleep better because these bikes were made by well-paid US workers in an environmentally-friendly factory. Although you can have the bikes shipped to your local LBS they were not transported by bunker-fuel-drinking cargo ships across vast oceans.Bowery Lane Bicycles is adding a fourth model this spring. They took their step-through frame (Breukelen), painted it white and added a three speed IGH (with coaster brake) and front roller brake. The saddle is a more conventional two-spring model as well. I would note that the IGH and front roller brake were likely made in China and shipped across vast oceans, but hey, you can't win them all.
The Good:
- MUSA
- Matching painted fenders (better get a mudflap on the front)
- Cool wooden box
- Roller/coaster brakes
- Leather saddle and cork grips
- Sad mismatched rear rack
- Black cable housing on a white bike
- One size fits all
5 comments:
"Although you can have the bikes shipped to your local LBS they were not transported by bunker-fuel-drinking cargo ships across vast oceans"
It costs more to truck a bike from Brooklyn to Los Angeles than to ship a bike from Taiwan to Los Angeles. It also uses significantly more fuel; shipping is amazingly efficient. Now, freight train shipments of bikes cross-country would be about the same fuel use as the ocean voyage, but I don't think anyone is doing that.
By all means, buy these bike if you want one, and feel proud about supporting a company making stuff in the USA. But you are not saving any petroleum by doing this, unless you pick up the bike in New York, or find it already in stock at your local bike shop.
I agree with the above. Still, there are so many people in or close to NYC who are looking for bikes, that I think thee should be a sufficient local market. I have been watching these bikes for some time and recommending checking them out to readers (of Lovely Bicycle) who ask me about budget bikes - but I would love to see a review or at least some feedback from those who actually own the bike. Have not found any as of yet.
I just rode one today. I live in NYC and plan to get one. The bike is extremely comfortable and smooth. It is the best commuter bike/dutch bike I've tested (tested Sun, Electra, Globe, Trek, Linus and Public). What can I say? Everything on the bike feels like it was put together just for me, the design is very well thought out.
Love the anonymous shill
The company, Bowery Lane Bikes established by two yokels who tied to foist off this POS, seems to be out of business. It's easy to see why
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