So, this may be really poor form on a forum dedicated to a bike company we all hold dear, but when I am asked to recommend a practical town bike, my answer is always the same: Breezer Uptown 8. Upright riding position with slightly swept bars, aluminum frame available in standard or low-step versions, steel fork, 26" wheels with V-brakes and clearance for 2.0" tires, rear rack and fenders, 8-speed Shimano internal gear hub with fully enclosed chain case AND front dyno with lights. Still under $900 new. It has nowhere near the grace of a Rivendell and not enough gear range to tackle steep hills while loaded, but it is the perfect entry-level daily "no excuses" bike as someone mentioned here. If there were another brand/model with all of these features, I would mention it in the same breath, but I can't find anything even close and it's going on 10 years now.
I bought one for my dad and then my mom; they became weekend riders as a result. I recommended one to a friend who became a daily bike commuter using it. I recommended one to my wife's mom who bought one to replace a 700c hybrid (that I had installed fenders on a few years earlier) and I don't think she's ridden the old bike since. Finally, I found a used one for my cousin who started college this fall and she loves it. So if you fail to talk someone into a nicely-appointed Clem, this would be my next suggestion. If the user wears it out or their tastes evolve, they could upgrade to a Riv later, because by then they'll be sold on the virtues of a practical bike! Daniel M Berkeley, CA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
