I bought a new bike. A commuter bike, which is TOTALLY different from all of the other bikes I have. This bike is to be used in commuting across Cambridge, MA, which has the stated goal of maintaining their roads at 3rd world country levels. This is what they mean when they say they are 'citizens of the world', you can have the experience of driving through Mogadishu without ever leaving MA.
An add on Craigslist for LifestyleHQ bikes caught my attention. They are selling a single-speed aluminum bike for $300. The specs on the web page are a bit vague, but look promising. I called the number and spoke to a representative of the company who was super helpful! He filled in the missing pieces and is an enthusiastic advocate for the bikes, I like that!
Sight unseen, I ordered a bike to be delivered to my house. It was already late Tuesday, but the bike arrived Thursday. Nice!
What can you expect for $300? If you are even a semi-serious cyclist that doesn't even buy you a decent wheel.
First, the box is neat and appears intact.
Using a utility knife to show how it is packed, I'm super impressed. Although the rep told me they do a great job packing, basically everyone says that and we all have a standard for what that means. This exceeds expectations:
Unpacking is easy, everything is carefully laid out and nothing will scratch anything else.
I threw it on the stand to assemble. There isn't much to do: put on the front wheel, attach the handlebars, and give it the once-over.
This is a small thing, but I am impressed that the bolts come with Locktite on them. I usually add it to bolts that are static, it's really nice to see someone thought about this small detail.
I put the front wheel on the truing stand just to check out the build: super impressed now, the wheel looks good and is spot on.
The only adjustment I made was to the brakes: the cable was a bit loose in back and the barrel adjuster for the front had to let out a couple turns, but that's it.
Time lapsed from the time I put the box in the workshop until I took it for a spin is less than 15 minutes! I've built a lot of bikes over the years and never had anything this easy!
I'm impressed with the way it rides. Weight is in a good range so it isn't too heavy. It rides well and isn't too bad at soaking up the bumps, but it is an aluminum bike and is a bit more harsh than carbon or even steel. I haven't ridden fixie yet, just single-speed, but at some point I'll flip the rear wheel around and give it a go.
There is some oversteer if you try to ride without hands that forces me to compensate a goodly amount. I suspect the headset is a bit tight, which I can feel, and that's the classic cause of this. I don't have a good way to check the dish in the rear wheel, which might be the #2 cause. Haven't had a chance to play with this yet as it isn't a big deal.
The tires don't have a name on them, I have no idea what brand they are but they appear sturdy and will do the job. I suspect they are heavier than they need to be, but I'm not going to check. I've already ran over a fair amount of broken glass and explored some pot holes up close, and so far no issues.
The seat isn't something I would chose and may be the first upgrade, but it works well enough. It's finished with something like suede, so it catches the seams on my shorts. A smooth finish allows material to slip a bit and is more comfortable. Seats are HIGHLY subjective, your mileage will vary.
Again, I am super impressed with the bike and at this price point there is NOTHING that comes close! I'm seriously thinking of buying a second and shipping it to my kids on the West coast so I have a bike to ride when I visit!
