8-speed Urban Mobility

Expert Opinion: Folding bikes are incredibly popular abroad. Europeans use them on trains, and they’re easy to store in small apartments. The Puma has an interesting feature: The cable suspension also serves as a cable lock (meaning that if anyone messes with your lock, the bike essentially auto-destructs; but as long as you’re the rightful owner, Puma will come to the rescue). It’s the full package of form and function, and it’s cool.

What We Think: You won’t have to pop a wheelie to take your bike on the elevator, and you might make a few friends on the train; folding bikes, especially ones the same size as a “regular” bike, are still a novelty on Main St., U.S.A. With a Biomega frame, gears by Shimano, and chunky tires, you can take on potholes as well as San Francisco–style hills. And when pesky Vespas swerve into the bike lane, disc brakes give you excellent stopping power.

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Single-speed City Racer

Expert Opinion: Single speeds reduce maintenance and focus on the ride. Alta is marketing what bike messengers have been building for years. It’s modern, design-y, and well done, like the BMX bike you had as a kid: nothing to break, just ride it to get a Slurpee. The single speed is not to be confused with a fixie (fixed gear), which doesn’t have a freewheel and is mostly braked by your legs. In biking culture, riding one says, “I’m so freakin’ good, I don’t need brakes.”

What We Think: This bike says, “I’m at least as good as a messenger.” Because it’s stripped down, it’s light enough to haul up a few stories. The handlebars are its signature feature, meant to put you in a power stance to charge uphill and dodge traffic. The work of a Norwegian collective of graphic, furniture, and product designers with an ad agency, it’s fit for the streets, and your wall. Anyone who says they’re not buying it for looks is lying.

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Long Haul Trucker

Expert Opinion: This is a great commuter bike, but my favorite is Surly’s Big Dummy frame, which is a production version of a sport utility bike frame that I’m building Bettie 2.0 with. A cyclist can order the Big Dummy from their local shop and customize it with components of their choice—great for date nights, taking the kids to school, or getting dinner. When a bike accommodates your lifestyle better you rely on a car less.

What We Think: If you have the gumption to go for it, we support the DIY ethos behind building a bike off of a frame; that’s how Surly started after all. While you can buy simple framesets for all of their styles, they also make complete bikes for instant gratification. One of the few companies that didn’t succumb to the the aluminum or carbon-fiber-frame fad, the all-steel construction of Surly’s Long Haul Trucker won’t rattle your bones and is sure to stand the test of time; or as Surly would say, the test of 20 beer runs or 200 hundred miles, any given Sunday.

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Biomega AMS 8-Speed

Expert Opinion: The AMS [as in Amsterdam] is built for getting around town. It features a shaft drive, internal gears, and fenders. Basically it’s the perfect hipster’s grocery-getter. The simplicity of the shaft drive is attractive, and the fact DWR sells it appeals to the creative professionals, and hopefully inspires them to ride.

What We Think: The bike’s designer, Jens Martin Skibsted, gives an apt analogy for the Biomega: It’s like a Mac compared to a PC. Sure, there are more technical bikes out there, but this is an intuitive, smooth ride that never freezes or requires a nerd to fix. And because it has internal gears, all those creative professionals don’t need to worry about getting grease on their skinny jeans. Although the bike is pricey, Design Within Reach delivers on reliable quality. Considering that we love Macs and clean pants, we’re big fans of this bike.

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Brompton Folding S-type

Expert Opinion: The best thing about the Brompton is that you can gatecheck it like a stroller when flying. It’s super easy to fold and has been refined and dialed in over the past 30 years. Many Brompton users don’t carry locks. They just fold it and either carry it or store it. While the Puma is urban, the Brompton is a commuter and travel bike. The biggest differences are the size and the Puma’s built-in cable lock.

What We Think: While the Brompton brand may be the butt of biker’s jokes (it’s rather like its British mate, the Mini, in that sense), the S-type—for “sporty”—has a slightly more aggressive stance than other Brompton models. It’s also the lightest. While it may not be the best bike for basketball players, it’s a completely viable option for train/bus-plus-bike trips, and still cooler than a Segway. The 16 colors are enhanced by 13 color options for the fork, rear frame, handlebar, and stem, so even with all stock parts you can claim it’s customized.

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Novara Transfer

Expert Opinion: You can tell that commuters designed and built this bike. It’s full of well-considered features and specs like reflective tire side-walls, a hub-generated front light, and a loud bell. If you’re ready to bike commute, the Transfer is ready for you. It’s also got internal gears for low maintenance, plus bomb-proof rims, and platform pedals that let you just hop on, even with a big briefcase and grocceries.

Expert Opinion: You can tell that commuters designed and built this bike. It’s full of well-considered features and specs like reflective tire side-walls, a hub-generated front light, and a loud bell. If you’re ready to bike commute, the Transfer is ready for you. It’s also got internal gears for low maintenance, plus bomb-proof rims, and platform pedals that let you just hop on, even with a big briefcase and grocceries.

What We Think: While the price tag is lighter than the other bikes, the Novara is heftier; however, seven gears give it plenty of flexibility for a 33-pounder. The fact that it comes completely kitted-out means that it’s not an accessories trap; all you have to do to get going is put on a helmet (not spandex). Bicycling magazine named the Novara the best commuter bike in 2006. It’s definitely the most bike for your buck, but being stuck with maroon and white feels a bit like being trapped in our old varsity letter jacket.

What We Think: While the price tag is lighter than the other bikes, the Novara is heftier; however, seven gears give it plenty of flexibility for a 33-pounder. The fact that it comes completely kitted-out means that it’s not an accessories trap; all you have to do to get going is put on a helmet (not spandex). Bicycling magazine named the Novara the best commuter bike in 2006. It’s definitely the most bike for your buck, but being stuck with maroon and white feels a bit like being trapped in our old varsity letter jacket.

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