In April 2010 I wrote about my Gazelle Aristo “metropolis bike”. In November 2010 I purchased a Velorbis bicycle (the “Churchill Balloon” mannequin) from Morgans Bicycles in Sydney. I used to be very proud of the Gazelle, however being a little bit of a gadget nut I used to be additionally retaining my eyes open for different decisions. It’s straightforward to justify a brand new bicycle yearly or so. In actual fact, my back-of-an-imaginary-envelope calculations inform me that even when I purchase a fairly costly commuter bike, it pays for itself in lower than a 12 months in purely financial phrases.
It’s actually potential to hold it up a flight of steps, however I wouldn’t love to do it regularly.
Some fanatics will inform you that the burden of a bicycle is of little significance by way of ease of driving. In my view that is nonsense. The Gazelle was a lot lighter, and consequently took much less vitality to experience.
The burden of the Velorbis is offset by the truth that it has 7 gears, so it’s not unreasonably tough to experience up hills. I rode the bike in Sydney, which isn't precisely flat, for some months. Though I by no means obtained off and walked (unacceptable lack of face) I did use the bottom gear pretty usually, and located driving up from Bondi Seaside, for instance, to be difficult.
Compared with the Gazelle, the Velorbis additionally has a much less refined really feel. The Gazelle is totally fashionable, and superbly engineered and constructed. The Velorbis is extra harking back to the normal previous black bike.
The Velorbis was additionally a number of hundred cheaper than the Gazelle, so I’m probably not evaluating like-with-like. However, I feel these impressions give an concept of an important distinction between the 2.
By the way, I bought my Gazelle very just lately, and the brand new proprietor could be very completely happy. Paradoxically, he obtained its first puncture (ever) inside per week.
For a number of months I had each the Gazelle and the Velorbis (considerably to Gina’s annoyance), however I discovered myself utilizing the Velorbis nearly solely. Regardless of being heavy and, to my thoughts, a tad clunky, the Velorbis is simply an all-round lovely machine. In the event you take a look at the pictures, you’ll see what I imply. It has the traditional handlebars, a particularly snug Brooks leather-based saddle, and leather-based hand grips. It has a sure presence, I feel. Sam Butler mentioned that it was like a Daimler, and he thought a police escort would swimsuit it.
The drum brakes are built-in into the wheel hubs. There’s a dynamo built-in with the entrance hub, and this powers entrance and hind lights. There’s a capacitor (or one thing equal) that shops the cost, so the lights keep on for loads of time after you’ve stopped driving (for instance, at visitors lights).
There’s a built-in wheel lock. Once more, that is a lot clunkier than the Gazelle equal, requiring a little bit of fiddling at instances, whereas the Gazelle lock at all times slid into place with out demur. These locks are nice for parking on the outlets, however somebody can nonetheless carry the bike off, so for prolonged parking, or in areas with a excessive theft danger, I exploit a motorcycle lock to connect the bike to an immovable object. The Gazelle had a series that was well-engineered to connect to the wheel lock, however the Velorbis doesn’t have that functionality.
Mudguards are built-in, and work very well. Even when driving by way of gravel on moist days, I have been spared getting splattered.
The service is sturdy. The spec (PDF file) says the load capability (which I presume means the quantity of stuff you possibly can placed on the service, however I could also be fallacious) is 50kg. Actually I often give Marcus a experience on the again (which is against the law in Australia. In fact), and though it’s not essentially the most snug manner for him to journey, it’s handy when he’s not driving his personal bike. The service doesn’t have the Gazelle’s built-in elasticised straps (which I miss - they had been very useful). It has somewhat latch protruding of the right-hand facet, supposedly for affixing an attaché case. For me, this merely serves to make it unimaginable to connect a pannier to the suitable hand facet. I’m at all times tempted to hacksaw it off, however that appears like vandalism. However one among today…
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I needed to substitute the pedals after just a few months. Certainly one of them had an annoying jiggle on every revolution. A trivial fault that many would most likely ignore. I needed to do the identical factor on the Gazelle. Perhaps I am significantly onerous on pedals. I do wish to dismount and stand on one pedal whereas coasting to a cease, so possibly that is obtained one thing to do with it.
There’s a built-in kickstand, which could be very satisfyingly clunky to function. It offers fairly good steadiness, however I've had the bike fall over a few instances. Properly, really, greater than a pair. So I attempt to be a bit extra cautious about being on degree floor and never leaving a loaded pannier hooked up.
It got here with a very nice, old style two-tone bell. This was finally destroyed due to permitting the bike to fall over on that facet, so I changed it with a considerably unsatisfactory substitute. Most bikes in Australia have a very crappy little factor that makes somewhat ding when struck with the spring-loaded lever. The 2 tones are cheerful and well mannered, however when rung repeatedly and with enthusiasm can even convey a extra strident message. (Because of Morgans Bicycles for sending me a alternative bell after studying this.)
One of many very noticeable options of the bike is the massive tyres. Gina (being the visible design professional) informed me to get the store to suit white ones as a substitute of the brown or black that they urged, and naturally she was proper. Once more.
The large tyres (Fats Franks) are actually a consider making the bike very snug to experience, though little question they add to the burden and are most likely not significantly environment friendly.
Nonetheless, I've skilled 4 punctures prior to now a number of months, which is 4 greater than I’d had for the earlier a number of years, so I'll take into account altering to tires which are a bit more durable. Then once more, possibly not as a result of it is so good to experience on them.
The gears (SRAM seven-speed hub gears) are, once more, clunkier than the Gazelle’s Shimano Nexus eight-speed. There’s somewhat pause while you change earlier than the brand new gear engages. I prefer it, however then I additionally want vehicles with handbook transmission.
For the reason that Gazelle, I’ve change into a fan of hub gears. No awkward ugly derailleurs to bang into issues.
(Eunan jogged my memory that In Flann O’Brien’s sensible and weird novel “The Third Policeman”, there's a dialogue of the advantages and drawbacks of the “new-fangled” three-speed gear:
- “It's a energy for the hills,” mentioned Gilhaney, “pretty much as good as a second pair of pins or a diminutive petrol motor.” -)
Though I’m positive the bike could be largely invisible in lots of European cities, right here in Sydney and Melbourne it’s sufficiently distinctive to draw quite a lot of commentary and questions, and never solely from cyclists. A really well mannered driver waved me forward on the hill out of Bondi on a really slim highway, after which politely adopted me at 4km per hour as I panted to the highest. When he had a possibility to go, he rolled down the window, to not remonstrate in regards to the delay, however to admire the bike. I feel the bike strikes a nostalgic chord in lots of people who now not experience. At Marcus’ main faculty, he telle me the bike is taken into account “cool”. The closest I’ll ever get to that standing, little question.
I wouldn’t try severe hill climbing on the Velorbis. For instance, if I had been going for a weekend experience within the Otways (which I haven’t completed for ages) I would borrow somebody's mountain bike.
For me, it’s a really perfect bike to get round city in a calming vogue, and I’m snug with the truth that I’m one of many slower individuals on the highway. Yesterday I rode my previous Scott “flat-bar highway bike” (now Brian’s), and realised that I don’t assume I may ever return to that model of motorcycle once more (not that there's something fallacious with the Scott).
Since I wrote my overview of the Gazelle a year-and-a-half in the past, the biking state of affairs has modified considerably in Australia. There are much more commuter bikes on the highway now, and bike outlets that denied their existence two years in the past now have a big a part of their ground area devoted to them.
In fact, lots of the cheaper fashions are of comparatively poor high quality, nevertheless it’s good to see the bicycle quickly re-emerging as only a common machine for getting round, quite than one thing that needs to be hurled alongside at most velocity and with legs shaved to minimise drag.
In the event you’re on the lookout for a chic, snug and totally nice technique to commute, I can totally suggest that you just take into account a Velorbis.
Me, I’ve obtained my eye out for its successor, however I feel it’s going to be onerous to beat. Any pointers could be appreciated.
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