Torker Graduate

[Slowspoke]

Has anyone seen these?
http://www.torkerusa.com/bikes/commu.../2010-graduate

Seems like a fun commuter. I don't have many hills near me and am looking for a more upright bike. I wonder how doing some light touring might be on it. I am at the point where I don't feel like any of my bikes are quite what I want. I love my Bianchi road bike, but I bought it for touring and I can't put fenders or tires wider than .23. It is fun to ride! I ride my Gary Fisher to do errands now, but I wish it were more upright. I don't mtn bike at all.

I am a little concerned about having only 5 gears. I am going to test ride one in the next couple of days so I will let you know more about it. Has anyone else tried one?

[Tri Girl]

I've never seen those, but it sure looks like a great commuter! I like the drum brakes and the 5 speed internal gearing. Let us know what you think when you test drive it!

[Slowspoke]

This is all new territory for me. I have never had an internal hub or drum brakes!

[Melalvai]

I would love to have only 5 gears, provided they cover the same range of gears. Or at least the low ones. I really do not ever need high gears. Wow, on the drum brakes and the internal gearing!

[sgtiger]

It looks like a great commuter. I love internal hubs and I want to put some on my cargo bike when I have the funds to upgrade parts for it. The Sturmey Archer site says the 5 speed hubs have a gear range of 256% which should be fine for your area.

[Slowspoke]

What a fun bike! It is very upright and I loved the fit. The drum brakes are very responsive. It was weird changing gears because you stop pedaling, change and start again. I think that would feel funny on a long up hill. For an everyday commuter, it would be awesome. I think I would miss my granny gear a bit. The LBS guy said he could change the sprocket out in back to make the gearing lower. I would not ride much in 4th or 5th anyway (oh the knees!).

For now I think I will stick with my Mtn bike and swap out the handlebar, maybe the stem too.

[Tri Girl]

with an internal hub you can't change while in motion?

[OakLeaf]

with an internal hub you can't change while in motion?

What makes you think that? I didn't see anything that says it's not a normal internal hub? It does look like fun.

Except for drum brakes... I'm not optimistic about their stopping power... Last time I rode anything with drum brakes, it was a weetie little 125cc moto, and it was grab a big handful of nuthin'-happens.

I have never had an internal hub ...!

Kids these days... (No seriously, you started on a derailleur bike? I thought all kids' bikes still had internal hubs? Or do you just mean you've never serviced an internal hub? Which I sure haven't, either!)

[Slowspoke]

What makes you think that? I didn't see anything that says it's not a normal internal hub? It does look like fun.

Except for drum brakes... I'm not optimistic about their stopping power... Last time I rode anything with drum brakes, it was a weetie little 125cc moto, and it was grab a big handful of nuthin'-happens.


Kids these days... (No seriously, you started on a derailleur bike? I thought all kids' bikes still had internal hubs? Or do you just mean you've never serviced an internal hub? Which I sure haven't, either!)

I take that back! I did have a 3 speed. I'm just so old I forgot!!! I definately never serviced one. You can change gears while pedaling but it has a tendency to skip gears.

[Tri Girl]

oooohhh... I thought when you said you stop pedaling to change gears, I was thinking you had to stop and change gears. Duh! I've never ridden an internal hub before, so I have no idea how they work. You just have to stop pedaling (still in motion) to change gears. I get it.