New Bike Day
Plus, a chance to see my new haircut in person.
I got a new bike, my first truly new bike in at least twenty years. And it’s not just any new bike, it’s an opportunity for me to try a unique drivetrain technology that’s more commonly used in cars than in two-wheelers.
The Priority Continuum Onyx features a belt drive, which basically means that it has grooved carbon-fiber belt in place of a chain and an internally geared rear hub. Instead of clicking between cogs on a cassette using a derailleur, you use the twist shifter on the right handle bar to smoothly adjust the amount of resistance you’ll feel underfoot and how far you’ll travel with one pedal stroke. The promise of this is pretty enticing. No more dirt covered chain to clean. No more walking into a shop in search of lube … it’s for my bike, I promise!
You certainly pay for the premium: the Onyx currently costs about $1,349 new. The company sent me this one to try out for a big story I’m working on about bike brands. This is obviously great, except for the fact that it shipped unassembled. If I wanted to ride it, I was going to have to build it.
Luckily, Bike Plant has Open Hours where you can go in and work on your bikes under the watchful eye of its mechanics. This weekend, Lydia showed me the ropes. Er, chains. I mean, belt? Sorry, this is terrible.
I’m a true newbie mechanic. It took me a full 45 minutes to swap the ergonomic seat I bought for my crashed vintage bike and my Schwinn. But with Lydia’s help, I got this thing assembled within an hour. It took me longer to actually unwrap and cut out all the bikes components than it took for me to put the front wheel and seat in place. I did end up putting the fender on backwards, but that was easy enough to fix.
I haven’t done much riding on the bike yet. Admittedly, I’ve had plenty of opportunities. Just today, I rode about 5 miles to get to and from a haircut appointment. That’s the exact type of ride the Continuum was built to handle. But for some reason, I took my Schwinn.
Partially, that’s due to my own vanity. There’s something extremely uncool about a new bike, what with its unspotted tubes and totally functional disc brakes. For all its imperfections, my Schwinn has a lot a lot more panache. I feel like I traded in a kooky pair of tassle loafers for Allbirds.
I always underestimate products like Allbirds, though. Even if they’re uglier than a moral equivalency, you can throw them into a washing machine when they get dirty without worrying they’ll tear.
Similarly, the Priority Continuum Onyx packs other useful features I’ve never gotten to try. Hidden in the spoke of its rear wheel is what’s called a dynamo hub, which can convert the energy you produce by pedaling into electricity. On the Continuum, a dynamo hub powers front and rear lights. You’ll never have to stress about whether you’ve charged your lights again!
I am determined to actually put some miles into this thing, starting tomorrow morning. Some friends and I will be biking from Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza1 up to the Waterfront Greenway. We’ll probably stop somewhere in Greenpoint for coffee and a pastry.
Want to join? Reply and I’ll share more details!
Which I recently just learned ISN’T the only Grand Army Plaza in NY??? Maybe our next mayor will solve this.