OK, talk me out of a Bowery!.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 09-05-2009 01:12PM #1

Despite reading all the fixie stories here, the Bowery Owners thread and falling in love with the idea of owning similar I avoided it, telling myself it was a pointless waste of money.

But temptation got the better of me and I went and looked, then took a Bowery for a test ride!.

Well, at first on the fixed hub it scared the living Jesus out of me!. After a few attempted I had the guy flip the hub over and off I rode.

Well, it was lovely

AND I WANT ONE :pac:

But do I NEED one, and should I buy the basic model at €500 or the Bowery72 (lovely looking bike IMO) for €700-

My only real concern is will it get boring without some gearing to play around with?.

p.s. I'm more inclined towards the basic model and dressing it up to my own liking, but is spending the extra €200 worth it got the gucci bits?.

.

niceonetom · 09-05-2009 01:36PM

I'll evangelise the merits of the fixed wheel longer than most people will listen but...

NO

€700 is silly silly money for a bowery.

What gucci bits?

If you ride a bike with track bars single speed people will laugh at you. And by people I mean me. Duffy, ffs.

Thomas_S_Hunterson · 09-05-2009 01:41PM

The standard Bowery is very plain-jane, I'd be inclined to go with a better loking bike. It has little aesthetic merit.

/edit: googled the 72, not a big fan either tbh.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 09-05-2009 01:48PM

niceonetom wrote: »

If you ride a bike with track bars single speed people will laugh at you. And by people I mean me. Duffy, ffs.

But I was scared!.

lol

I actually looked around the car park where I tried the bike and people were smiling like 'Ah, that poor man can't even cycle a bike yet'

'Gucci' bits, just nice saddle etc - I guess not now

I could keep it on single speed and pretend its fixed by keeping cycling & looking cool about it!.. :P

But seriously, building a bike isn't an option for me (putting air in my tyres is the limit of my mechanical abilities) and if I'm being honest I'm only really getting it because I like the simple lines of the Bowery.

I'm being serious about the boredom issue, without gear's do people find the fixed gear a little boring on a daily commute. My commute is +/- 20 each way (+/- 40k per day).

arybvtcw0eolkf · 09-05-2009 01:50PM

Sean_K wrote: »

The standard Bowery is very plain-jane, I'd be inclined to go with a better loking bike. It has little aesthetic merit.

.

Sorry, too late to multi-qoute.

I got the impression it was left very plain so owner's could individualise (sp'ing) the bike to their own tastes.

.

Thomas_S_Hunterson · 09-05-2009 01:50PM

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

B

I'm being serious about the boredom issue, without gear's do people find the fixed gear a little boring on a daily commute. My commute is +/- 20 each way (+/- 40k per day).

Nah cycling is a lot more fun on a fixie. Don't know about single speed since i've never really ridden that way.

snollup · 09-05-2009 01:59PM

got fixie a while back & way more fun then geared.

Morgan · 09-05-2009 02:10PM

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

I'm being serious about the boredom issue, without gear's do people find the fixed gear a little boring on a daily commute. My commute is +/- 20 each way (+/- 40k per day).

Huh? Do you find changing gears that diverting?

abcdggs · 09-05-2009 04:24PM

i ride a single speed (only until i get round to flipping my flop) and must say i find changing gears annoying. but then that's just me. oh and btw... definitely buy it, not sure how you've survived this long without it

Highway_To_Hell · 09-05-2009 04:39PM

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

I'm being serious about the boredom issue, without gear's do people find the fixed gear a little boring on a daily commute. My commute is +/- 20 each way (+/- 40k per day).

I commute 30km each way and prefer to do it on my fixie then my road bike. The only problem I have is spinning out on some of the downhill/flat sections of the route, but I will probably change the setup I have in the future. I found when commuting on a road bike I tend to over change gears when comming to red lights/junctions, with the fixie you dont have the option and also you just power up the hills. (it can be a pain in high winds when the option to lower the gears is not there)

Go for the fixie, you won't regret it (my kids are just waiting for me to master cycling backwards)

unionman · 09-05-2009 07:49PM

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

But I was scared!.

Feel the fear and do it anyway. You'd be surprised how quickly you get used to it.

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

I could keep it on single speed and pretend its fixed by keeping cycling & looking cool about it!.. :P

Er...no. Just...no. Nope. That won't work. Fixie riders would know AND give you grief (friend of mine is still doing single speed on his charge Plug and has to listen to fixie riders telling him he's cheating at every set of lights on his commute)

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

But seriously, building a bike isn't an option for me (putting air in my tyres is the limit of my mechanical abilities)

Then you have found your dream bike. Low maintenance is a big plus with fixed gear.

Kennedy Substantial Ham wrote: »

I'm being serious about the boredom issue, without gear's do people find the fixed gear a little boring on a daily commute. My commute is +/- 20 each way (+/- 40k per day).

I've felt a lot of different things riding a fixie. Boredom isn't one of them.

Have we sold you the bike yet or what?:D

it's mick · 09-05-2009 07:53PM

get a langster, you might as well get some carbon for your €500.

unionman · 09-05-2009 07:56PM

it's mick wrote: »

get a langster, you might as well get some carbon for your €500.

You can get a Langster for €500? (declaration of interest - I ride a Langster 07)

Blimey! You can!!

niceonetom · 09-05-2009 08:07PM

Right, so we're all agreed. Get a fixie. Keep it fixed.

But not the bowery. Not that one at that price anyway. It's worth maybe half of the price they're asking.

Look here. Whataya fancy?

Langster is a nice bike. Had one myself. Charge plug gets some love too.

it's mick · 09-05-2009 08:13PM

head into town and get yourself measure up on a langster and take a test ride, then order the 2008 one above for about €435 including postage from evans(i think their postage is £40). then you have €65 to get some nice bits and get it just how you like it.

EDIT: they're all sold out of last years langster unless you take a 49cm. you can get a langster in cycleways for €500 though

Vélo · 09-05-2009 10:56PM

If you don't mind paying the extra few euros get the Bowery 72, it's a beautiul bike. I was in css yesterday and saw it and was very much impressed.

I'd also recommend the Langster, I have one and absolutely love it.

Just get a fixie, you know you want to!

OK, talk me out of a Bowery!.

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