Tag Archives: commuter

Bike of the Week: Kona Roundabout

NYC Velo is proud to offer the Roundabout, the newest offering from Kona’s diverse, purpose driven collection of Asphalt bikes. The Roundabout is designed specifically for people wanting a beautifully built, perfectly simple bike.

The Roundabout features a classic steel Mixte, AKA step-thru, frame, representing a clean, streamlined purpose-driven-bike aesthetic. It utilizes a user-friendly Shimano 9 speed drivetrain that offers a perfect range of gears to zip around town. The Kona HandPlant swept-back cruiser-style handlebar keeps the rider upright, comfortable and focused on the road in front of them. Kona offers this fender-ready model in two sizes: small and medium.  At $899.99, the Roundabout represents a quality mark that will keep it out of the service bay, without the need for frustrating repairs and adjustments (it will most certainly be out enjoying a carefree ride).

Bike of the Week: Independent Fabrication Mellow Fellow

The NYC Velo Crew was fortunate to get its hands on the limited edition, some call it a “collab”, Indy Fab Mellow Fellow bike last year which proved to be quite the crowd pleaser while in the shop. A beautiful single speed rig for the city, complete with (bag ready Nitto) racks, this bike found a happy home recently with a very pleased customer. After some test riding and a lengthy conversation about intended use, ergonomics, and riding position, the team set to work on a few “mods” to further customize the Mellow Fellow. A set of Honjo fenders, a Nordeast cruiser handlebar from Nitto, and Brooks leather handlebar tape complete the one-off package.

Originally, the Mellow Fellow was part of the Paper Labels design project uniting three crews hellbent on creating the best in their respective fields, Independent Fabrication, Bodega, and Bailey Works bags. Three bike designs were fabricated based on three color schemes that also integrated bag or rack combinations.

Paper labels of vintage and deadstock spraypaint cans were the color palette source upon which the three concept bikes’ paint colors were supplied. The color scheme and iconography of the Paper Labels bikes were derived from Bodega’s archive of discontinued vintage spraypaint. These colors were popularized by the 1980′s graffiti culture and are now coveted by spray can collectors. Krylon Aqua Turquoise #2008, Krylon O.D. Khaki #2301, and Krylon Metallic Blue #1903 serve as the foundation for the bikes color schemes.

Additional graphics for the bikes were created by referencing some designs from other old vintage can labels. Only 15 of each model were made and include matching bag(s), t-shirt and a can of spraypaint mixed and labeled for each bike.

Bike of the Week: Surly 1x1x11 Snowplow Edition

As if Surly’s needed to be rendered even more rugged, this 1x1x11 is snowified and trail ready! We modified this Surly 1x1x11 for our customer Michael, who is lucky enough to live in close proximity to the snowy state park trails on Long Island.

Once a single speed bike with slick tires, this bike is now outfitted with 24″ snow gripping dubs and a SRAM I-Motion internally geared rear hub.  The resulting bike is the perfect commuter for those days where the city completely fails to take care of its snow problems.

All he needs now is reckless abandon and he’ll be ready for the Iditarod bike race.

BOTW: The Spriggscycle

This week’s Bike of the Week is our friend Mike’s townie. It’s a handmade bike from 20 years ago, when Mike’s buddy Greg decided to make track bikes with relaxed geometry for all his messenger friends up in Boston. This was Mike’s work bike in the early 90s, then it became a commuter, and now it’s Mike’s “around town” bike – as well as the official errand bike for the Rapha Cycle Club. Mike decided on a relaxed fit, with gentlemanly Nitto bars, a Brooks B-17, and a Shimano coaster brake for fun.  Couple that with an slick t-shirt from Mike’s Gage & Desoto line, and you can see why everyone says Mike Spriggs is the “cock of the walk.”

BOTW – Civia Bryant

This week’s bike of the week is a supercommuter with a heart of a performance bike.  While the Civia Bryant looks llke a mild mannered ten-speed from back in the day, it’s been designed from the ground up to give you everything you need in a daily commuter – AND it can go the distance.  It can take all kinds of racks and panniers, comes in a geared and ungeared versions, and even sports a belt drive option if you’re into that sort of thing (we are).

Comfort, versatility and price.  We can’t think of a better combination!

Civia Bryant – $1260-$1730 depending on options.