Republic Bike

April 10, 2010

Last week my trusty bike got stolen. There is nothing like walking out of a building, stepping onto the pavement, and seeing an empty post where ones bike was "safely" locked up. So here is my dilemma: if I buy a cool new bike it will probably just be a gift to some lousy stinking New York City bike thief.

Here’s a Republic Bike that screams "pick me, pick me" to all those bike thieves out there so although I really adore it I think I will have to pass.

The fun thing is that this bike is that it’s customizable and you can play with the colors of the frame, handle grips, seat and wheels. The only thing that does not work for me is the backpedal brakes. I like the brakes at my fingertips. Here are a couple of my favorite combos that I created on their site from classic to crazy.

Posted by Ghislaine Viñas on April 10, 2010 | Comments (8)

May 22, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
ghislaine commented:

OMG - sounds horrible but I have to admit that you are pretty funny and I had a bit of a giggle reading this. Glad you got it done....kinda glad I got my Public bike instead which needed no assembly at all...

May 20, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
Art Donovan commented:

Well... I finally got around to assembling Leslie's new Republic Bike. One very small piece of advice to those who may be considering the purchase... HAVE A DAMN PROFESSIONAL ASSEMBLE IT!!! No kidding. The instruction sheet is hysterically insufficient and whacky. The instructions are completely out of sequence and incorrect for this bike. The tech help at the company could not even find out how to resolve the most basic of assembly issues. Determined, it took me an entire day to assemble it myself. Now the website says that the bike is 90% assembled when it is shipped. It's that last 10% that will drive us poor consumers out of our minds. What they DON'T tell you on their website is that the instructions are made for professional bike repair shops- all measurements are in millimeters and no "inch" options anywhere. Here's an example of the ridiculous instructions: "Most Important! Tighten the tension on the Brake Cable. *Use Tightening Torque: 6 - 8 Nm or 52 - 69 inch/pounds of pressure" OOPS! I accidentally used 70 inch/pounds of torque to tighten. Did I screw up bad? "You'll need some White Lithium Grease." Oh, O.K. I'll just check my tool box. Darn! All out. Can I buy White Lithium Grease directly from The Jet Propulsion Laboratory or can I get it on line from China? The tech guy admitted that many people send their bikes into pro bike shops for assembly. I wish they would have at least IMPLIED that before we purchased. Anyway, it's done. Best to All

April 14, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
Caleb commented:

Get a big enough lock and I bet you'd be okay (but then you have to deal with carry a huge lock around). www.2strokebuzz.com/gallery//main.php?g2_itemId=2892

April 14, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
ghislaine commented:

I am jealous of Art Donovans wife!

April 11, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
ghislaine commented:

that yikebike really made me laugh....really clever. I love seeing the classic bike totally reinvented.

April 10, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
Art Donovan commented:

I'm sorry to hear about your Bike :( I was born and raised in Jackson Heights and if I had a nickle for every bike that had been stolen from me.... Anyway, THANK YOU for the link. My wife, Leslie just bought one online right after we saw your post. Best Regards, Art

April 10, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
Craig Nevill-Manning commented:

BTW, this is your new bike: www.yikebike.com made by a couple of colleagues from New Zealand. OK, not so beautiful, but clever!

April 10, 2010

In response to: Republic Bike
Craig Nevill-Manning commented:

Oh no! That's terrible news. How annoying >_<*