I'm doing a survey on what kind of bikes are being used for affordable
mid-range road bikes, bikes that you'd use for running around town or
everyday commuting.
Sure, on Sundays keen riders trot out their pride and joys -- the very
high end Treks, Specializeds, Rossins, Colnagos, Cannondales, etc. but
there is a fairly limited set of names you see on every day road bike
frames, the ones that are locked to lamp posts outside the grocery
store and are most often converted into single speeds.
I suspect that certain brands are chosen because they are lightweight,
good quality, but not so sought after as to be expensive or appealing
to thieves. They are also, I suspect, not so precious that they can't
take the occasional scratches and dings that come from heavy regular
urban street riding or be "frankensteined" with mix-and-match
components.
And it seems to be quite regional. In this area (Toronto in Canada)
the Grade B brands I most often see include: Concorde, Miele, Fugi,
Fiori, Miyata, Nishiki. There is an Apollo brand that shows up on
bikes originally sold in the Vancouver area but which I don't think
was ever available around here.
What brands/makes/models do you see in your area? What are your
thoughts on what makes a great beater?
I look forward to hearing your ideas.
Peter
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