City

It’s okay to call them foul-weather friends; we’re not offended. Joe Bike has built one of the world’s deepest selections of ultra-low-maintenance, high-performance city bikes equipped with the trifecta of year-round urban cycling: Gates Carbon belt drive, internally geared hubs, and disc brakes. These bikes all have a set of common attributes: their drivetrains and braking systems are weatherproof, extremely reliable, clean, and nearly maintenance-free; all accept fenders as well as both front and rear racks; and all can be equipped with a front dyno hub to power both front and rear lights.

The practical-cycling movement in the US seems to have taken its first cues, and its first models, from Holland, where the earth is still flat and where heavy bikes don’t feel heavy once you’re rolling. Where steel chaincases very sensibly protect your chain from the rain but make repairing a flat tire a greasy, sharp nightmare. Where sitting bolt-upright as if at your grandma’s dinner table is the only choice you have.

We love the Dutch and their influence on the transportation-cycling revolution that’s under way in North America, but Joe Bike is in Portland, not Amsterdam, and our idea of practical cycling runs fairly counter to Dutch (or, more accurately, Dutch-style) bikes and their misplaced advantages in favor of what actually works well in Portland.

For example, “practical” in Portland means the ability to climb a hill even with a full load of groceries without being deprived the use of most of your body’s muscles, and without a $3000, self-necessitating motor. It means you don’t need to oil your chain or to mess with a cumbersome chaincase because you’ve got maintenance-free, grease-free Gates carbon belt drive. The belt never rusts or stretches and lasts several times longer than a chain (and is now more efficient than a chain, too). It means your bike is both very strong and surprisingly light, and has a wide gear range to get yourself going and powerful, weatherproof brakes to get yourself ungoing. It means your rear rack weighs half as much as most others, yet carries twice the weight. It means if your body feels stronger and more comfortable when you’re leaning into the bike rather than imagining your back between (as your yoga teacher might say) two panes of glass, that’s because it is. You’ll ride more easily and more efficiently, maintain better control, do more on a bike, and have a lot more fun doing it.

With these ideas in mind, we’ve put together what we think is the best lineup of practical city bikes for the Pacific Northwest, whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned commuter, or somewhere in between.

• Spot Bikes Acme and Ajax: These are the ultimate in hassle-free, maintenance-free, high-performance commuters. Aluminum frame, carbon fork, Alfine 11-speed (or Rohloff) with Gates CenterTrack Carbon Drive, and hydraulic disc brakes. Ajax has the same frame and fork but uses the Alfine 8-speed hub and has mechanical disc brakes. There’s even a stepthrough version of the Acme for people under about 5’5″.
• Spot Bikes Sprawl, handmade in Colorado: one of the most gorgeous city bikes out there (currently available by special order only).
• Spot Bikes Coyote: Clearcoated steel, belt drive, two-speed kickback hub.
• Civia Bryant 11- or 8-speed: For those who prefer drop bars and the supple ride of high-quality steel, the Bryant is our top choice.
• Stop Cycles Proletariat belt drive: Portland-designed, custom-built just for you. Alfine 8 or 11 + Gates, n360 + chain, or single speed belt or chain.
• Norco Ceres belt drive, equipped with what Ecovelo.info calls “the best commuting-specific component group on the market.” 8 speed or 11.
• Norco Vesta Our single-speed, Gates Carbon Drive commuter with drop bars and disc brakes. The ultimate in simplicity and reliability. Highly modifiable with various drivetrain options.
• Norco CCX2: Aluminum frame, carbon fork, disc brakes, and street tires, $1199: highly versatile and incredibly priced. Chain drive, not belt.
• Soma Buena Vista: among the most graceful steel frames made today. We custom build these to suit you.
• Soma Stanyan: a sporty light-tourer that makes you say, “I didn’t know they still made bikes that beautiful.”

Stop Cycles is a young Portland company specializing in urban riding; their bikes are designed in Southeast Portland and fully assembled by Joe Bike, with the frames constructed in Taiwan. Norco, of Vancouver BC, is Canada’s oldest and most highly regarded bike manufacturer. They’re known mostly up north and in Europe, and Joe Bike is one of a relatively small number of US Norco dealers. Spot Brand Bicycles, closely associated with Gates, is based in Golden, Colorado, and specializes in high-performance Gates-equipped commuter and mountain bikes. Civia Cycles, based in Minneapolis, designs high-quality utilitarian models such as the Halsted cycletruck, the Bryant, the Kingfield (belt/rim brakes) and several chain-drive models.

Note: We are also dealers of Sun, Origin8, Surly, Redline, Batavus, Koga-Miyata, Abio, Strida, Soma, and Abici, though we don’t generally keep them in stock. We’re happy to special-order any of their models for you, with delivery times typically ranging from 1 day to 1 week. A 60% nonrefundable deposit is required for special orders of these bikes.