Pelago Chainguard Pelago

How is a city bike different from other types of bikes? 

Behind each bike lies a designer, and within each designer lies assumptions. The assumption of most North American bike designers is that people ride bikes for recreation, which usually involves a bike path, a country road, and several hours of spare time. The bikes that result from this assumption are usually hunched-over, have exposed oily drivetrains that require tighter athletic clothes, feature anywhere from 21 to 33 speeds, and aren’t often made to be locked up to metal poles all day, especially in foul weather. A city bike is quite the opposite. Its position is gloriously upright, the chain is able to be totally covered, you can wear whatever you want, you have all the gears you’d ever need (3-speeds for flatter terrain, 7 or 8-speeds for hills), and tough frames and sealed mechanisms to battle all kinds of weather.

What’s the difference between a brand like Pelago and others you carry?

Here in Canada, winters can suck. But Finland is reported as being the happiest country worldwide – and their winters are much colder, darker, and longer than ours! Part of this can be attributed to the fact that they cycle year-round, with the city of Oulu being the informal winter cycling capital of the world. You can ride in all seasons with any bike (and many Canadian cyclists do) but the Fins are dedicated to riding good bikes that are made to handle winter weather – with powder-coated steel frames, internal gear hubs, upright riding positions and puncture-proof tires.

When comparing a Pelago to a Linus, the Pelago will be a lot longer-wearing – the paint won’t “pock” over time and the frame is stronger. A fair comparison would be a Pelago against an Achielle, but the latter is much heavier and designed for slower rides than the more moderately-positioned Pelago. A Fahrradmanufaktur cuts its teeth on being an excellent trekking bike as well as a city bike, whereas the Pelago shines in urban environments with some longer rail-path rides thrown in.