2021 City Bike Preview

• Posted on 4 January 2021
• By Ben Cowie
• Posted in Choosing a Bike, Product Review
• 0

A look at the city bike offerings for 2021

2021 City Bike Preview

In 2020 we saw an explosion of cycling across North America, and in 2021 we anticipate even more of you will choose a bike for utility, transportation, recreation. As we enter our fifth season in business, we’re gearing up to give you more options to get around than ever before, but be warned: bikes will be in shorter supply in 2021 than they were in 2020.

We’ve heard rumblings of production troubles through the fall, and Bicycle Retailer Magazine recently laid bare several core issues with the industry that mostly boil down to “Shimano (the world’s largest bike parts maker) can’t make enough components to keep up with soaring demand.” While we are doing our best to acquire as many bikes as we can for the year ahead, we are anticipating short supply by mid-season (or earlier), and have already started to see these problems in our own supply chain. From Bicycle Retailer:

“This leads to the first problem for 2021. Virtually all of the reserve stock that wholesalers usually hold so that retailers can order on demand, has been sold. During my road trips I've walked down empty aisles of warehouses that might normally hold 10,000 bikes with barely a few hundred. One company reported 107 bikes in stock compared to a usual holding of 18,000 bikes. Other smaller warehouses were completely empty with the next two or three shipments already fully pre-sold.”

TL;DR: there isn’t any stock anywhere. Unlike the bike boom of 2020, there won’t be a cushion to keep things moving later into the season, letting the factories catch up. Our shop’s basement is empty for the first time since we opened. The warehouses that feed us are empty. It’s hard to find a bike anywhere right now. That said, we’ve pre-ordered more bikes than ever before, and are doing our best to keep stock levels high enough to make it through most of the season. I’m not sure it will be enough.

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What’s New in 2021?

Tern Bicycles

In addition to the electric and cargo offerings from Tern, we’ve picked up a couple of their great folding bikes, too. The Tern Link D7i offers a complete folding bike package at a great price, while the Tern BYB P8 provides deluxe personal transport in a supremely small package. The Link A7 offers our most affordable city bike in 2021: compact, and practical option with great accessories options for only $675. Despite their small size, Tern bikes ride a lot like a full sized bike, giving a “best of both worlds” machine for your everyday bike adventures.

VSF Fahrradmanufaktur

Ok, so these bikes aren’t exactly “new” to us; we carried a number of their models last year, and found that you LOVED them. So this year we’re featuring some new models, including the full-featured and upright S-300 City Bike, and the sporty T-50S everyday commuter model (the S is for “speed” in our books). These bikes are made in Germany, and we have a special production window allocated to us for our spring shipment. The quality of VSF is outstanding, and the bikes come complete with dynamo lighting, and quality accessories throughout their builds. This is a bike you’ll own for a generation or longer.

Gazelle Tour Populair

The Tour Populair is the real classic Gazelle: this is where it all began. Steel tubes curved into an indestructible and iconic frame and fitted with steel mudguards, and styled throughout. The lines on the mudguards and the head tube are still painted by hand, and the bike rolls as smoothly as only 130 years of design experience can create. Craftsmanship and a love of bikes combine in the ultimate classic. We finally got our hands on a few of these for 2021, and they’re due in store any day now.

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What’s Returning?

Breezer Downtown

Our favourite chromoly steel city bike is back in both Roadster and Step-Through models for 2021! It’s the workhorse of our everyday cycling fleet, and it’s with good reason that we’ve sold more Downtowns than any other model, ever. The lightweight chromoly steel frame is forgiving and comfortable to ride, and the geometry of the Downtown is “just right” for getting around town. Plus, the bike comes with everything you need: quality lights, a rear luggage carrier, kickstand, bell, and mounting points for a frame lock. These low-maintenance bikes are perfect for going “to the grocery store and beyond” - heck, we’ve even heard of people (cough, @CedricRichards) riding to the beach on them!

Pre-orders (with a 15% deposit) guarantee your bike’s availability for spring delivery, somewhere between late February and early April. We have also expanded our financing offerings from FinanceIt to help make your bike affordable for most budgets (starting from $33/month), and can help you get started with that program, too. To begin your pre-order, send us an email, and we’ll make it as easy as ABC! Deposits are first-come, first-served for our pre-ordered stock, and the earlier you get your order in, the sooner we can reserve one from the production line for you.

VSF Fahrradmanufaktur

• Made in Germany
• Complete and well-spec’ed with SKS fenders, dynamo lighting, Racktime luggage carrier, and more!
• Mounts for front racks and extra bottle cages
• Powder coated frames for style and durability
• Four-season ready
• 10 year warranty

S-300: $2,299

• Premium City Bike
• Low-step rust-proof alloy frame
• Gates Carbon Drive belt system
• Shimano Nexus 8 Internal Gear Hub
• Shimano hydraulic disc brakes
• Petrol Blue Colour

T-100: $1,799

• Superb Trekking Bike
• Lightweight chromoly steel frame
• Shimano Nexus 8 IGH
• Pletscher Kickstand
• Hebie Chainglider
• Busch & Muller Lighting
• Shimano V-Brakes
• Matte Black

T-50/S: $1,199–$1,299

• Everyday City Bike
• Lightweight alloy frame
• Shimano Nexus 7 IGH or Shimano Alivio 24-speed (S)
• Double-diamond, mid-step (pictured) or low step (like the S-300) available
• AXA dynamo lighting
• Matte Black

Tern Folding Bicycles

• Clever design and 20” wheels makes for a folding bike that rides like it’s full sized
• Integrated accessory system for easy luggage carrying
• Folds in seconds, using strong magnets to secure the bike
• Fits riders from 147 to 195 cm (4’10” – 6’5”)
• Priced to fit any budget.

BYB P8: $1,999

• “Bring Your Bike” - anywhere!
• Designed to fold 30% smaller than other Tern models
• 14.3 kg (fully equipped)
• Metro Transit Rack with built-in spinner wheels for easier trolleying
• Easy to take on the bus or train. Fits in closets, and is ideal for small spaces
• Champagne, Dark Bronze, Vintage Blue colour options

Link D7i: $1,299

• Shimano Nexus 7 Internal Gear Hub
• 14.3 kg (fully equipped)
• Metro Transit Rack with built-in spinner wheels for easier trolleying
• FreeDrive™ chain cover protects your clothes from grease and dirt
• Tern Valo 2, integrated dynamo lighting
• Shale Grey colour

Link A7: $675

• Shimano 7-speed derailleur
• 14.3 kg (fully equipped)
• Easy to take on the bus or train. Fits in closets, and is ideal for small spaces
• Fenders included, optional luggage carrying systems on front or rear
• Red/White or Grey/Mango colour options

Breezer Downtown $850

• Fully-equipped City Bike, our pick for “best in class” everyday bikes.
• Comfortable, upright chromoly steel frame with chrome fenders, Spanninga lights, kickstand, bell, rear rack all included.
• Vintage bronze colour for double diamond frame shape.
• Available in 48, 52, 56, 60 cm frame sizes

Downtown Step Through

• Shimano 8-speed derailleur for getting uphill easily
• Classic step-through design for easy mounts and dismounts
• Upright riding position for comfort
• Rhubarb Red, or Graphite colours
• Available in 46, 50, 55 cm frame sizes.

What’s Missing in 2021?

The global bike shortage has already begun to sting our supply lines, so we’re being as up-front as possible with you about what to expect. Here’s what you won’t see on our floor this spring. We sincerely hope that both brands return to our floor stronger than ever in 2022.

Brompton: We have been told by our sales rep not to expect any new Brompton bikes in Canada in 2021. We’ll start taking orders when/if they become available, but until then we’ve closed our order books. If you were considering Brompton this year, we recommend the BYB folding bike from Tern as a lightweight and capable alternative.

Pure Cycles: Unavailable until at least September 2021. We’ll start taking pre-orders when we have some indication of availability. Please consider the Breezer Downtown if you were looking at a Pure Cycles Roadster or Step Through.