Goodbyes and Offsets
We briefly tried fostering dogs for a local rescue organization but we found it impossible to continue because we too quickly became attached; continuing would have meant a house full of dogs and a visit from the County. Dogs are wonderful, living creatures, and we’re certainly not saying they’re in any way comparable to inanimate objects like bicycles, but testing bikes can sometimes be analogous to fostering dogs: some you just can’t let go and end up becoming a permanent part of your life; others you let go, but not without a measure of regret; and some you can hardly wait to get packed up and out the door (don’t ask ;-)).
We sometimes question all this shipping bikes back-and-forth across the country. We’ve even talked about giving up road tests altogether, though we’ve managed to talk ourselves out of it. Our hope (rationalization?) is that our road tests provide a much-needed platform for what are generally under-marketed transportation bikes. Our thinking is that if we promote bikes that function well as car replacements, more people will be successful in their attempts at going car-lite or car-free, which in turn will encourage further sales of these types of bikes, which in turn will make for more success on the road, and so on in an upward spiral. We’re probably giving ourselves way too much credit for having an influence, but at minimum we hope our positive impact on bicycle use offsets the negative environmental impact of shipping our road test loaners across the country.
26 Responses to “Goodbyes and Offsets”
Don’t stop! Your road testing is helping the rest of us making the right purchase and thereby saving the shipping of many more bikes that are subsequently found to be unsuitable and sent on to new homes.
Not that I should be purchasing a new bike anytime soon – like books, I have enough to be getting on with for now. But just like reading the book reviews in the paper, there’s no harm in keeping yourself familiar with what’s out there… ;-)
i hear you, we reviewd a decent amount of bikes this year. we thought it would be fun and for the most part it was but it turned out to be alot work also. i hate packing bikes up sending them back.
Please please don’t stop. There’s a dearth of information on commute/transpo/utility bikes. Your recent review on the Alley Way and past review on the Civia Hyland, for example, are priceless to me.
Alan, you better not quit reviewing bikes! I bought my Rivendell because of the gorgeous eye candy photos you put up! I need objective reports on these things because I have a collector’s addiction and you help me spend more wisely! : ) The small bike producers need people like you otherwise we consumers might not ever hear of an ANT or A Rivendell
I would agree that the bike tests are useful and I love drooling over the pictures, but (not to be negative) I cannot imagine using most of the bikes you test as true transportation bikes that are going to spend long hours locked to a post somewhere. There is just too much money invested in them. How about covering a broad array of price ranges and give buyers options. I see KHS makes the “Green” in the mid $300 range and Pake makes a 5 speed roadster similarly priced. I also see Electra bikes that follow the roadster/transport design pattern that are in the mid $500. Are these bikes any good? They may not be as exotic but part of the “transportation” concept is to be able to lock the bike at your destination and go about your business without too much worry. I would be more inclined to lock a $350 bike at the store for a few hours than a $1350+ bike. Am I just being paranoid?
On the other hand, I enjoy reading your site and have learned a lot from it. It has helped motivate me to continue to ride through the winter and to use the bike as a substitute for the auto whenever possible.
Thanks
Donald
Sacramento, California
I think your assessment of your influence is accurate. I’m a natural reader… not a natural athelete. But there are about 3 blogs like yours that I love to read. That reading quickly turns from knowledge to wisdom and from wisdom to inspiration. And that inspiration gets me on the bike for the majority of my commutes. My 22 mile round trip commute often gets tempted by the Subaru in the driveway. But reading a blog post at 9pm gets me excited and packing my bike gear more often than not. So thanks for what you do! Don’t stop!
Hi Donald,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m pleased to know we’ve provided some motivation – that’s what we hope to do!
On the question of locking bikes, undoubtedly, many of the bikes we’ve tested might be at risk if locked to a post in a high crime area for a lengthy period. On the other hand, many people live in safer areas, and many commuters have indoor bike parking, so it’s not as much of a risk for them. We use the bikes you see on the blog every day. They don’t get locked to a post and left for hours, but they frequently get locked in high traffic areas in front of stores for 15-20 minutes. With a good lock, smart locking strategies, and a good insurance policy, I have no qualms about using the bikes in this manner.
As for reviewing low-end bikes, they certainly have a place and deserve coverage somewhere, but we probably won’t be reviewing very many, if any, sub $500 bikes. There are a few reasons:
Many entry level bikes may have issues that would make it difficult to recommend them as reliable transportation. As you may know, our review policy states that we don’t publish reviews about products that we can’t recommend. As such, with entry level bikes we run the risk of shipping bikes back-and-forth across the country and never publishing the reviews because the bikes don’t meet the minimum criteria needed to warrant a positive review.
Secondly, bikes arrive here in a box (sometimes directly from Taiwan) and I have to build them. Low-end bikes can be a real headache to assemble and set-up properly. They may take far longer to build due to poor quality control and generally poor fit and finish. And for the most part they’re just not much fun to wrench on. I don’t really have the time or interest to work through the mechanical issues that are likely to be present on cheaper bikes.
Also, there’s not so much to talk about with sub-$500 bikes. None are unique in any real sense (they’re all coming out of the big factories in China), and they don’t have a story behind them that would make for an interesting review. And I think most people are already aware of what you get in a bike for under $500. What we want to do is give people an opportunity to see some of the harder to find, unique transportation bikes that are breaking new ground and improving the breed. Many of these bikes are difficult to find in local bike shops, but they’re important in that they raise the bar for commuting and utility bikes, something that we’ve needed for a long time now.
Sorry about the long-winded answer. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this subject recently so it’s fresh in my mind.
Best regards,
Alan
A few months ago my wife, who works in a veterinary clinic, brought home an ancient pit bull on the day it would have been euthanized, even though I told her not to do it. Our house has turned into a canine geriatric ward, and I didn’t want even to foster a possibly ill-behaved addition. Well, the dog got along fine with our dogs and cats, but she was still a big pain (not particularly well house-broken) and impossible to place, which meant we were stuck. After about three months the clinic got a phone call from the owner, who just got out of prison. We had thought she was picked up as a stray, but what happened was the owner went to prison (probably drugs – he didn’t seem so bad) and left the dog, whom he had owned since she was a puppy, with his girlfriend, who didn’t want to care for her, and tied her to a tree. Animal control picked her up and boarded her at the clinic until euthanasia day, when my wife saved her. I was both delighted and sad to see the (as it turns out) 14-year-old go. So keep up the foster care – it’s worth it, and very much needed in the current recession.
Oh, wait, this is about bikes (silly me). Well, keep the reviews coming – they provide a lot of valuable information. Even the comments provide useful information; for instance, I’m very impressed by Elliott at Violet Crown Cycles. If I didn’t happen to live about three miles from Mike Flanigan’s shop, …
Molnar’s pit bull story made our wintery day.
My pocketbook says to stop the reviews because now I have a Surly LHT and Rivendell Betty Foy on order ;) In all seriousness, I think your reviews and articles are very inspiring and informational.
Hey Now. Whose bikes are you calling inanimate objects? I have 5 bicycles and each and everyone one has their own personality and in their own unique individual way, a joy to ride.
One must remember the cardinal rule of cycling, ‘ One can never have enough bicycle.
Keep up the reviews and article. One can always dream………
So many bikes, not enough money.
Regarding cheaper bikes, and following on from the previous post about design – would it not be possible to give a sub $500 bike a good review given that it’s a cheaper bike? After all, part of its design criteria would be to come in at a reasonable price, but still be rideable. Given that many people will start out transportation cycling tentatively, not sure if it’s going to be practical for them or not, they won’t want to go straight out there and buy something really pricey. Not all of us know enough to buy a secondhand bike safely either. And, given the prevalence of cynically produced cheap bikes out there, it would be nice to know which ones are just good basic bikes, as opposed to ones which will put you off cycling forever.
Of course, keep posting the eye candy too…
Alan, your above statement is not “longwinded” but TRUTH! I too, have wrenched on the low end stuff, and I really take offense at the build and lack of quality! These points ad up to a lack of SAFETY! ( @cedarwood.) Keep finding the great builders and eye candy bikes for us old friend! Dougman.
@townmouse
“Regarding cheaper bikes, and following on from the previous post about design – would it not be possible to give a sub $500 bike a good review given that it’s a cheaper bike?”
Absolutely! It’s a question of numbers though. I pick and choose which bikes I review, and I always choose bikes that have a high probability of receiving a positive review. In the sub-$500 price range the odds are much lower that bikes will receive positive reviews, which increases the probability of going through the effort and expense of shipping a bike across the country, building it, riding it for a month, packing it back up, and shipping it back across the country, then ending up with nothing to show for all the time and expense. It’s just not worth the risk (for me).
Alan
@Doug
Thanks, Doug. I know you’re an excellent mechanic, so it’s good to know we’re in agreement. Safety is a real issue with some bikes. Brakes in particular can be barely sufficient on some low end bikes. I’ve seen hideous welds too, some so bad that I wouldn’t ride the bike myself. There are certainly some good bikes out there in the sub-$500 price range, but it’s probably best for people to go see them with their own eyes at their LBS to inspect welds, test brakes in person, etc.
Alan
At the shop where I wrench we refer to department store bikes as “Bike Like Objects”.
One could put more time and cost into one of these B.L.O.’s than was spent in the initial purchase and they still wouldn’t function properly and safely.
We stopped working on such bikes as we were requiring a signed release from the owner at pickup because of the over all deficiencies of the machine.
A signed release went over like a lead balloon.
Too many times such a bike would come in because of a flat and the brakes weren’t set up properly or bearings (name a part) were loose or too tight or just shot or it didn’t shift worth a damn but the owner didn’t want it fixed.
Either because of expense or the owner would say, “it’s just a bike”, or that they “only took short rides” they would baulk at the idea of doing needed work.
It just caused to much time and trouble so no more B.L.O’s.
I know Trek has very nice bikes in the $300 range that with more added expense, racks, panniers, baskets and lights make a very nice commuter bike.
We have set up and sold quite a number of these bikes.
FWIW
@David
“I know Trek has very nice bikes in the $300 range…”
That’s great to know. I’m sure there are some gems out there. Perhaps they are best found by someone who works in a bike shop and has access to a variety of bikes in that price range.
Alan
@Alan,
Thanks for the response in regards to cheaper transportation bikes. I agree that with a limited amount of time you would have to pick and choose carefully which bikes you spend time with. There are a lot of new great products out there so I can see why you would concentrate on those. For my own needs I will probably look for an old lugged steel frame bike to set up for short range transport with lots and racks and baskets. My daily commute is secure at each end but I am looking for a bike that I feel I can park anywhere properly locked up. That will give me the incentive for using a bike for something more than just commuting. For a while I have been thinking the discussion of cost had to be made though so I am glad my comment encouraged a few comments.
Thanks again. WoooHoooo it is sunny today!!
Donald
Sacramento, California
Why review anything else as long as the Surly LHT and CC are in production. Either of those bikes can be built up into perfect commuters. And for those who are willing and able to spend more, call Rivendell. Why bother with anything else?
I want to chime in on “Vintage” bike reviews. (if possible) I collect my bikes from Ebay and craigslist weekly! I believe some reviews of sub $500.00 “Finds” are in order. Alan, I am willing to loan you my Bridgestone xo-1, MB 1, 2, 3 etc. for you to review. : ) I find deals all the time
out there and good owners usually sell them in better, safer condition than the Walmart people do. I feel we need to support the private individuals in these hard times by buying their bike and giving it a good home. I enjoy meeting people and kicking tires with them and striking a fair bargain.
There are not so good folks out there on the “List” too, so, one must be careful! However, I am a collector/ commuter. (self invented category) so, I really love the adventure/ hunt of finding the treasure bikes out there. So, how about it old friend, do some retro reviews or find of the month reviews just to break the pace of “New” bikes all of the time. I really like the belt drive bike and the racer some of the guys have built. Keep the specials and one offs coming, they are beautiful and they show Americans still have “Yanky know How”! (skills and craftsmanship). Dougman.
Alan,
This may be a too-easy question, but have you asked whether you can donate the review bikes to a local nonprofit instead of shipping them back to the maker?
@Sharper
Most all of the bikes I’ve reviewed are demos that will be used at shows, made available for reviews, etc., throughout the year. The stop at EcoVelo is just one among many.
Alan
@Alan
I was afraid of that. I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask anyway…
Alan, I love the reviews, as a photographer and bike rider they have inspired me in various ways and helped push my thinking on bikes forward :) true I cant afford many of these beauties, but neither can most people reading up on the Lamborghini website or the latest supper-car in the car magazine, yet they are there for people to dream :)
we got a lot of Kia’s running about today but man how wonderful it is to see an Aston-Martin once in awhile ;)
so please keep it up, I enjoy looking at the other offerings from these companies and sometimes find a bike that would work for me which I think is sometimes the idea as well
(note I am not a car guy, unless its electric :P but anyway)
Alan,
I hope you keep the reviews coming for a few reasons. First, I’ve read enough of your reviews to have a feel for your perspective, so the reviews now have more meaning and context. If you were to stop reviewing bikes and parts, I would have to hope for an Alan clone to start publishing bike reviews or start all over learning the biases of a different reviewer. Second, even if I’m not interested in the bike, I’m probably interested in some of the components. In this case, I use the bike review as a “how does this component work in this context” review. Third, I just like reading your reviews. :-) As a media consumer, my top five sources in no particular order are:
ecovelo.info
copenhagenize.com
yehudamoon.com
illdoctrine.com
english.aljazeera.net
Seriously, we don’t have tv. I don’t read the paper much. It’s kinda funny, but I look at your work more than that of almost any other journalist. Keep up the good work.
Hi Ari,
Wow, that’s very nice. Thanks so much for the kind words and inspiration.
Best regards-
Alan