Have you heard Bill Nye’s vision of the city of the future? Showers at work and wind tunnels to provide cyclists with backwind both ways? Look into it, those tunnels sound crazy, but might actually be cheaper than road construction.
Anyway, some bike companies, with hybrid bikes more focused on in-city commutes and tour-like performance, are making Bill’s city of the future look a little more possible. Here are a few two-wheeled beauties upcoming in 2014.
Canyon Inflite AL: The Inflite is Canyon’s more versatile, go around get around bike. That being said, it’s pretty high end—and still very much on the racing side of that high end. With an aluminum frame and carbon forks, its super light-weight (1480 grams). The brake cables are routed internally, very stylish, and its equippable with mudguards, which is rare for Canyon. Also protecting from dirt build-up are the wide connection chainstays. Disc brakes will make it a safe stop every time, which is important for a city bike. It comes in black. $1600
Sirrus Comp Disc: The Sirrus is a flat-bar road bike, which means the handlebars are straight and don’t have racing horns. It’s a simple, handsome, high performance bike. With hydraulic disk brakes, it also promises optimum safety on your stops. It’s built for sustained high speeds (get to work quick, sleep longer), and the adjustable seat looks like it provides comfort during such. Also in black, with neon green highlights, its a simpler bike than the Inflite, but it’s also at a considerably lower price point. $1200
Schwinn Speedster: These bikes are getting sleeker and sleeker. This is a simple, elegant bike from a brand you can trust. Both frame and forks are made of steel, which makes the speedster a heavier bike. It might be slower than the bikes above, but it’s also more durable. Schwinn has always been good for a wipe-out or beat-up. This bike is designed for a stylish but standard urban ride: it’s got 1 gear and coaster (backpedal) brakes, which means its a fixie. It’s as streamlined as can be, and comes in at a streamlined price. $599
Brodie Bolt: Brodie was into road bikes back when everybody was into mountains, so their cruisers and commuting bikes are high quality performance simplified by experience. The most basic of their 2014 models is the Bolt, which is reliable and highly owner-servicable. With double wall rims and a frame for weight dispersal onto the back tire, the Bolt is both durable and balanced. Rim-braked for easy stops, it’s a 7-speed, which means a little more maintenance, but also a little more versatility in terrain. $549
