Commuter bicycles covered by Wall Street Journal

See also: “How Amsterdam and Copenhagen promote bicycling,” about May 5, 2007, WSJ article

The Wall Street Journal has discovered that people actually ride their bicycles to work and that bike manufacturers actually build bikes for this purpose.

In a Weekend Journal article (reprinted in full at the C.I.C.L.E. blog), the reporter writes that nearly every bike manufacturer has a new or revised commuter model for 2007.

We all know what they bikes are about – not so much speed as durability, comfort, style and and sometimes price. Also racks, enclosed chain, racks.

If you're interested, here are links to the commuter bicycles featured in the Wall Street Journal article so you can learn more about each brand:

Batavus Vivente (above)–  Made in the Netherlands (where they really know about commuting bicycles), but distributed in the US by Seattle Bike Supply.

Breezer Uptown 8 – Features Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub, front and rear generator lights, suspension seatpost…

Cannondale Street Premium — Front shocks, covered chain…

Currie Technologies IZIP Urban Cruiser NuVinci — Heavy, but at 48 pounds one of the lightest hybrid bikes, gets its muscle from pedal and battery power. NuVinci refers to the transmission in the hub.

Diamondback Transporter — One of the most affordable mentioned, the Diamondback looks like a standard mountain bike with fenders, rack mounts and a bell.

Electra Amsterdam Classic – The maker of bike cruisers borrowed from the Dutch to style the Amsterdam. More details at BikePortland.

Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles, The Ride (right) — Also using the NuVinci transmission, the bike features an aluminum frame and either aluminum or carbon fiber components. The most expensive model features a belt drive, instead of chain drive.

Schwinn Continental – While borrowing the name from the vintage Schwinn 10-speed model, the new Continental is powered by either a rechargeable battery (40 miles) or a drive-shaft pedal system (no chain).

Specialized Globe City 3.1 – Specialized calls this an urban-utility performance bike. Racks, lights, chainguards, fenders, mounted on an aluminum frame and carbon fiber fork. The front hub powers the lights, the rear is an 8-speed internal gear hub.

Trek Portland – This commuter is based on the Trek 520 touring bike, but with updated fork, disc brakes, aluminum frame and carbon forks. Also standard shifting with Shimano 105 groupo. More info at CyclingNews.

The blogger Chico Gino checked out the Wall Street Journal list, and suggested some additions: Rivendell (check out the Saluki and QuickBeam frames), ANT (Alternative Needs Transportation), Surly (whose “Big Dummy” bike with Xtracycle rack and Stokemonkey battery made a hit at Interbike) and SOMA Fabrications.