Comfort, Speed, and Versatility

What do you need in an ‘all rounder’ city bike, I mean what do you really need? For me it’s always been finding that balance between comfort, speed, and the ability to carry whatever random object that you’re required to take from The Shire to Mordor. Ask for the best bike for this type of environment and you’ll get a thousand answers, that I can guarantee. Some swear by a regular roadie, fast and narrow to weave through traffic, others take the hybrid option to get the best of both worlds. Mountain bikes are favoured by those who live in the city’s outskirts, and those who need a bike but aren’t cyclists opt for a dutch bike or an e-bike.

Now, the real heavy hitter is a single speed, or perhaps even a fixed gear. They offer the best running for the least maintenance, the lowest chance of being angle grinded off a bollard, and they make you look cool (if it’s fixed that is). However, whilst they have a relativley low barrier to entry in the city centre, a single gear becomes sluggish to most in the suburbs, and riding fixed comes with its own tribe of mustache donning weirdos ranting to you about gear ratios. So what IS the best choice?

Enter, the Cafe Crusier

A strong 90’s steel mountain bike steel frame, wide comfortable tires and flat handlebars, gears aplenty, multiple cargo mounting points, a small community, and drip beyond measure. A cafe crusier offers a very strong frame, typically unique enough that re-selling a stolen frame is a highly risky business. Gearing and flat bars means you’re set for whatever errand you and your steed must carry out, and ultimatley they are a huge canvas for creative expression. Now, if you were to go and search for a Cafe Crusier set to buy, your eyes may bleed a little but ! Fear not, for a cafe cruiser is nought but an £80 second hand frame with a £15 basket smashed on the front. I’d suggest trawling some enthusiasts like BabyLondonBikes for info, and have a peek for old Raleigh, Giant, and Trek bikes on ebay/facebook. Happy hunting !