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Betting high with Civia Cycles
by Tim GrahlQuality Bicycle Supplies (who also owns Salsa, Surly and Dimension/Problem Solvers) showed off their new brand today. Civia Cycles are incredibly high end commuter bikes spec’d and priced higher than anything else I’ve seen on the market.
They are launching with four builds available of the Hyland… Rohloff, Alfine, Derailer and Singlespeed.
Each Hyland comes with proprietary aluminum fenders painted to match frame, proprietary carbon fork, front and rear post-mount disc brake tabs, chainguard, proprietary rear rack and proprietary sliding dropouts.
The specs that are common on each build are:
Frame Civia Hyland
Fork Civia Carbon
Headset Cane Creek S-8
Crank Shimano Alfine
Chain Shimano
Brakeset Shimano Alfine Hydraulic Disc
Seatpost Thomson Elite
Saddle Selle Italia C2
Stem Thomson X2 (31.8)
Handlebar Salsa Pro Moto 17 degree bend (31.8)
Grips ODI Rogue Lock-on
Tires Panaracer T-serv 700×28, with reflective sidewall
Fenders Civia Aluminum Fenders
Rear Rack Civia Aluminum Rack
Chainguard Civia Aluminum Chainguard
Headlight Shimano LP R600 Generator Powered
And here are the parts that are different for each build and the tentative pricing:
Rholoff Build: $3100
Shifter Rohloff twist-shift
Wheel (Rear) Rohloff Speedhub, 14 speed, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
Wheel (Front) Schmidt SON Dynamo, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
Sliding Dropouts Rohloff specific
Alfine Build: $2200
Shifter Shimano Alfine Rapid-Fire
Wheel (Rear) Shimano Alfine Internal 8-speed, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
Wheel (Front) Shimano Alfine Dynamo, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
Sliding Dropouts Alfine/Singlespeed specific
Derailer Build: $2200
Shifter Shimano XT Rapid-Fire
Wheel (Rear) Shimano XT Hub, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
Sliding Dropouts Derailleur specific
Singlespeed Build: $1900
Shifters n/a
Wheel (Rear) Surly New Hub, DT Swiss x470 disc specific rim
There is no doubt whatsoever that these bikes are worth the price being asked, however I think it’s a huge gamble to market a $3100 bike in the United States market.
It will be incredibly interesting to see how/if they sell.
Do you think there’s a market for this kind of bike in the US?
I live near QBP and a couple of weeks ago, I called them up and arranged a test ride on the Rohloff version. It was sweet! Surprisingly light, very quick. The aluminum frame and composite fork did a good job of absorbing the road shocks — very important considering the poor roads we have here in Minnesota!
I put my order in for a blue one in the first production batch in April. I sort of liked the pooh pooh brown too. Unfortunately, production is only going to be blue or sort of a light green — both matt finish.
Fascinating bicycles, regardless, eh? And equally fascinating that these are being marketed in the land of the SUV. I ride to work in Tallahassee, Florida, on a ‘93 Bridgestone MB-3 that’s been totally rebuilt from the ground up into a high-zoot commuter with fenders, heavy-duty rack, brass bell, and Brooks saddle. It works great for me, but if I were in the market again, I’d consider these bikes. The Dutch bikes are OK, but I’m kind of snobby about details, and the high-end English and Swedish bicycles are just not easily available.
Frankly, the carbon fork thing isn’t my cup of tea, but the idea of a high-end commuter is. The point of a good bike, instead of a beater for a commuter, if you can deal with the security issue, is that it is not only dependable, safe, and handles well, but that it’s a nice ride. Many beater commuter bikes are just not fun to ride, and that is a critical factor when you’re already facing all kinds of headwinds being a commuter in the U.S. And yes, the Civia is expensive, but many weekend warriors spend at least that much on their bicycles, and then more. That Rohloff is very appealing, and just how many people spend that much on a laptop that they use for a few years and then upgrade?
I’d like to have one in black, sort of like the SR-71 Blackbird. The brown is kinda ugly, IMHO.
Yuppie cycle.
Aubrey- I don’t suppose you might be the guy who owns that awesome little shop on 53rd street eh?
(I’m being vague of course)
As for the civia… I’d say hats off to QBP and Scott for taking a risk bringing a super high-end commuter to the US market. There’s few enough people that can appreciate this bike, and I’d say most of those people are quite capable of specing and building something similar for cheaper anyway… that’s the point of some of these comments. I’d notice though that currently no one will sell you a ready-for-anything-out-of-the-box all purpose commuter, and I’d think that’s the real market for these. Question remains of course- how many of us who *want* something like this are going to pay the additional cost of buying it from Civia instead of having it built ourselves from whatever bits and pieces strike our fancy…
And something else to consider. How heavy can you load this thing up before it starts misbehaving? To me it looks a bit like a koga-miyata, and I wonder if it can perform like one as well…
Check out the Kind Bikes Commuter:
http://kindbike.com/index.php/bikes/commuter/
Great design – that high priced bike needs stop’n go support. With electric assist – demobilising via breaking the wheel is possible if the user does not authenticate- or sirens may go off if the wheel moves… .
Old thread, but here’s my 2 cent’s worth: I just commissioned my new commuter: Ti frame, disc brakes, Rohlof hub, Chris King and Phil Woods build up, $5000. Why go so big? I ride every day in all kinds of weather and this bike will be the most dependable, longest lasting, lowest maintenance bike I could create. I’ve broken steel frames, my current commuter is a one speed at the moment – frozen dérailleur, I scared the poop out of myself last weak due to poor braking performance – rim brakes get glazed in a week in snow and salt conditions. The new bike will address all of these problems, and most of the parts are guaranteed for ten years or more so I don’t have to buy a new bike every two years. Anyone who thinks hanging derailleurs and rim brakes are good options for four season cycling must live in a great climate – that junk does not hold up to snowy conditions.
In summary, I think these bikes look like a good idea.
My (very late) 2 cents is that the average commuter would be much, much better off with a Novara from REI. The Transfer (26″ wheels, Nexus 7, full fenders/rack/lights/gen hub, $600!) and the Fusion (700c, one step up, Nexus 8, $750) are two great options.
Is the Novara Transfer laden with high end parts? No. Is it as sexy as this Hyland? No. But does it offer all the commuter needs/wants (internal gearing, lighting, fenders, rack, good riding position). Yes.
http://www.rei.com/product/744802
Inspite of having 4cars at home i prefer to ride my bicycle.Such is my passion for cycles.One of the best qualities is provide by Civia bicycles.A Civia’s ride quality speaks for itself and is undeniably their best sales person.They guide their business by three principles: Passion, Respect and Sustainability.They’re passionate about bicycles and the lifestyle they provide.They respect their community and the environment and seek sustainability from their relationships and business.
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janeashley
Sport betting guide
MMMmmmm…
I just don’t see $3,100 worth of bicycle there.
Carbon fork for a commuter is a bad idea. Carbon still has catastrophic failure when it does fail.
The front fork is just too important to go weight weenie.
That said, I think the bike is overpriced and getting a lot more hype than it deserves.
Commuters bicycles take far too much abuse and spend too much time with a rider in the saddle to
Re: Mike’s input on carbon forks…
A properly engineered modern carbon fork:
1. CAN have similar initial strength under static load, but under dynamic load, carbon’s modulus (ability to flex under load and return to it’s original shape known as “toughness”) is (potentially) much greater than steel. If you catastrophically fail a good carbon fork, it probably failed long after the wheel and yo’ bones.
2. the modulus of elasticity CAN result in more complaint and precise handling.
3. Carbon CAN have a much longer fatigue life than steel.
4. Carbon CAN weigh considerably less than steel.
Sorry aluminum, you’ve come a long way, but due to an unsuitable modulus, you can’t compete for most discerning cyclists.
Don’t get me wrong, I ride both and love steel, but from an engineering standpoint, if light weight, high strength, precision handling and a supple ride are important, carbon is a superior material for bicycle construction. If price and impact resistance are a factor, steel has the advantage.
Due to it’s high modulus of elasticity, carbon has a damp feel… dull in comparison to the sweet, lively and resilient feel of steel.
Carbon is only recently well understood for bicycle applications. Many carbon products are semi experimental and a lot of carbon products are a joke. Steel is sorted out.
As far as a commuter… well ok, I ride steel and will for a long time to come. I once bent a steel fork back to where the wheel would not clear the downtube. I bent it back and rode 40 miles home… try that on carbon huh?
I had a friend who locked his $4K Carbon Dura Ace bike up. He looked out of the store to see a thief yank his bike’s top tube against the lock cable and the top tube just popped apart in one shot. The thief made off with all of his broken bike. Try that with steel.
KDub ;^)
Nice looking bike, and love the Rohloff option (the main reason for the price). Tbe
Alfine 8 version is obtainable in the $1500 range these days.
Here’s hoping the new Bryant (steel frame, belt driven option) will get a Rohloff option.
Yuppie bike? hardly. Looks like a good, practical car replacement to me, at less than the cost of one year’s insurance, taxes and gas (in most places). A good internal drive is worth the money for anyone in a wet or snowy climate.
Oh, and I’m on the “anti-carbon” team. Not a fan of the stuff. I’d prefer to see a nicely made steel fork with radiused blades. Carbon and commuting don’t mix, IMO.