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Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

ikea.com

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Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#161

Post by Ocerge »

Redoubts wrote: post #150
woodruffw wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Walmart and other big-box store bicycles are infamous in the cycling community for their poor quality and assembly, often to the point of being completely unsafe to ride at any speed (Nader reference intended). They often use the cheapest high-tensile steel they can find, off-brand rims, mix-and-match groupsets, low-quality brakes, and so forth. The bike you linked exemplifies that - mixed Shimano/SRAM components and…

Relevant video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkMnk_eCDQU

That was legitimately terrifying. Don't know if I've ever experienced a fight-or-flight response from a YouTube video before.

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#162

Post by agumonkey »

johnny99 wrote: post #119

I used to be a bike mechanic, and have gotten to work 90% by bicycle for the past two decades, so I'll take a stab at some of the questions: - Belt drives are great. They're sturdier than chains, cleaner, and something I love, quieter. The angle of the belt doesn't change, the way a chain does, which means you can add a chain guard, as this bike does. Which keeps it yet cleaner. You can ride to work without worrying…

Good point on the belt. I wonder if people paired that to a NuVinci CVT system: https://youtu.be/GHYGOIttuVM

  - no noise
  - no grease
  - no shift shock
  - no fixed gear
I'd love to try a bike like this. ...

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#163

Post by johnny99 »

aluhut wrote: post #151
hvdm wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For mountain bikes and race bikes, this might actually be true. I used to have an MTB with stainless steel sprockets. Never needed to change them. Nowadays, they are mostly aluminium, I think. Furthermore newer bikes have more gears typically. The rear cassette used to be 7 speed, now 10 or 11 is not uncommon. This means narrower chains. Also chain may be lighter now, especially the high-end ones. Lighter bikes are d…

I wouldn't care if the chain is heavier. The scary stories I heard from what happens if the chain falls apart are enough for me. I would even pay more. No problem. However, when I asked the guys in the shop, they had nothing like that.

I've had a chain break once in probably 30k miles of riding, and only because I'd monkeyed with it (taken links out when converting to 1x7 speeds). Pros put unreal amounts of torque on equipment that's crazy light, and their chains break very rarely. Not something I'd worry about.

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#164

Post by johnny99 »

abrax3141 wrote: post #159
factorialboy wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in Amsterdam, you can either buy a cheap Chinese made bike which breaks down often or an expensive but reliable Dutch bike. Needless to say, both are likely to get stolen within the first six months. ;-)

Why are bikes still getting stolen? So many bikes are stolen that you'd think the market for stolen bikes, and parts, which can't be THAT huge, would be saturated.

I think it's in part because they are their own getaway vehicles. And they're often parked outside, so you don't have to break in to anything.

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#165

Post by tomatsu »

collyw wrote: post #90
antfarm wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The IKEA bike has a belt drive, disk brakes, aluminum frame, automatic 2-gear system, etc. The one from walmart.com is just plain cheap and low quality, nothing fancy about it.

Belt drive - I can't see much advantage to that. Aluminium frame - probably the Wallmart ones are as well. Disk brakes - cheap V brakes would be fine for the sort of cycling you will do on that thing. (This seems to have the cheaper cable pull disk brakes, rather than more powerful hydraulic ones). 2 gear system - hardly worth having only two gears in my opinion. Maybe it's just because I am a bit of a bike snob with…

> Belt drive - I can't see much advantage to that.

Maintenance-free, always as efficient as a properly lubed chain, clean, and quiet.

They are fantastic for commuter bikes.

> cheap V brakes would be fine

Disc brakes are unaffected by wet/muddy rims.

> This seems to have the cheaper cable pull disk brakes

Mechanical disc brakes are perfectly fine for road bikes. They require less maintenance, too. They are very simple.

> 2 gear system - hardly worth having only two gears in my opinion.

IGHs also require less maintenance than a derailleur. 2 gears isn't much, but I'd rather take that than a single-speed one.

I would have preferred a manual 5-gear IGH, though.

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#166

Post by miloshadzic »

abrax3141 wrote: post #159
factorialboy wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in Amsterdam, you can either buy a cheap Chinese made bike which breaks down often or an expensive but reliable Dutch bike. Needless to say, both are likely to get stolen within the first six months. ;-)

Why are bikes still getting stolen? So many bikes are stolen that you'd think the market for stolen bikes, and parts, which can't be THAT huge, would be saturated.

people whose bikes get stolen need new ones

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#167

Post by slantyyz »

abrax3141 wrote: post #159
factorialboy wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in Amsterdam, you can either buy a cheap Chinese made bike which breaks down often or an expensive but reliable Dutch bike. Needless to say, both are likely to get stolen within the first six months. ;-)

Why are bikes still getting stolen? So many bikes are stolen that you'd think the market for stolen bikes, and parts, which can't be THAT huge, would be saturated.

There was a weird case in Toronto Canada - if your bike was stolen in the city, it probably ended up in the possession of one particular guy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/world/americas/21iht-canad...

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#168

Post by mianos »

I saw this in the store on the weekend. The bike is very very heavy. All well and good if you live in Holland but if you don't, this is an expensive sea anchor. (I commute every day on a bike worth less than fifty bucks and ride 5k a year on my road bike).

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#169

Post by Terretta »

woodruffw wrote: post #29

I've been keeping an eye on this bike's development for a while, and I'm not disappointed with the outcome. It's still more expensive than a box-store bike, but I hope that availability at IKEA will make it more appealing to college students. Internal gears and a belt drive will make for more interesting maintenance, but anything beats the hi-ten 18-speed monstrosities that currently dominate college campuses.

My favorite bike for daily short commute -- jump on, jump off, no special gears, no maintenance, dirt cheap:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29ss.htm

The wheel size and choice of fixed gearing largely just works, like a BMX was all you needed as a kid.

Re: Flat Pack Chainless Bicycle from IKEA

#170

Post by aluhut »

johnny99 wrote: post #157
aluhut wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have question for you. Before my actual bike, I had a mountain bike for something around 15years. I never changed or did anything to the chain. It was perfect. Now I bought a new one. After 2 years I went to the shop to have it checked. They had to change the chain. When I told them my story with the old bike they told me: "that's how it is today. Chains are not what they were". I'm still in disbelieve. Can you con…

Depends on the bike, but can be true. Fifteen years ago you might have had 7 cogs in the back, and today you can have 10 or even 11. Which means chains are a little thinner, to accommodate the extra gears. Also, depends on mileage not years--an old, unridden bike will be fine. You can usually get ~3k miles from a chain without having to change the cassette (the cluster of gears in the back). If you let the chain go t…

It wasn't mileage. I was a more frequent biker back then. I'll get one of those measuring tools and learn how to use them. Otherwise it'll be 2 years again after this season.
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