Everyday Bike

Everyday Bike 2023 in Test – Even small steps can and should be seen as success. And celebrate too. If a large city on the Rhine climbs from a grade of 4.2 to 3.8 in the bicycle climate test within two years and is also recognized for this leap as one of the so-called catch-ups by the Federal Minister of Transport personally, then you can definitely see that as a success.

Congratulations! The efforts do not go unnoticed and are having an effect. A lot is actually happening here, and that is right and necessary! Even if it sometimes only has a singular character and remains expandable.

City? Country!

But isn’t it also a sign of poverty in our country? If, for example, the flagship cycling city, the one on the Aasee, doesn’t get more than a straight three, i.e., its cycling climate is only rated as satisfactory and thus ranks first among all larger cities,

Smaller and smaller towns, in particular, do better. Rural Wettringen in Münsterland received the top rating of 2.0. That would be a truly celebratory goal for everyone!

So the “village” is an ideal cycling area? It’s hard to believe when you hear the widespread stories about the frenzied village youth, but it seems that the countryside is the ideal place for cycling.

Everyday bikes in the test: location-independent

Be that as it may, the seven test bikes “for the city” make no difference. The focus of everyday bikes is on a combination of comfort and ease of maintenance for the best handling in everyday life. This works and convinces regardless of location.

Your hub gears are low-wear, especially in comparison to derailleur gears. You can shift them while stationary, and if the frame allows it, the transmissions can even be converted to a modern belt drive or, as was the case with three bikes in the test, are already belted. This further increases the low maintenance; the belts do not need any relevant care apart from occasional cleaning but must be treated with some care to avoid cracks.

Suspension forks provide comfort in general and also in three cases in the test. They, in turn, require a little more setup and maintenance effort if you take them seriously. Adjusting the spring forks with steel springs, which are usually cheaper, is very easy with a rotary knob. Models with an air cartridge have to be filled with a special pump, but they can be adjusted very precisely and respond more finely overall.

Known momentum

All bikes have a deep frame in common. It not only offers the familiar look but also makes it easier to get on and off in everyday life and to ride with a dress and skirt. Fortunately, all test bikes were able to refute fears about a lack of stability.

If you want to be on the safe side or prefer a different look, you will find other frame shapes. However, the diamond frame is rare on the more classic city bikes.

Related: Urban bikes 2023 in Test: Sporty, urban, & modern.

Big arch

The biggest differences in the test field of everyday bikes are in the price, which spans a clear arc. The differences in technology aren’t that big at all. The masses rely on Shimano’s 8-speed Nexus hub. The two cheapest bikes, Elops and Bergamont, stand out with the Nexus 7 and the most expensive, Gudereit, with the Alfine 11. There is also a lot of overlap when it comes to the dynamo (especially Shimano Nexus) and the brakes (Shimano MT200).

The price differences result from other, smaller or less obvious but not insignificant details: frame processing, cable routing, rim quality, stand, quality of other components such as stem, light, etc. There is also the belt drive or, as with Falter, a Plus version with correspondingly heavy-duty components.

A suspension fork with an air chamber increases the price as well. And in the end, it is also the wheel weight that is one kilogram below the others in the upper price segment. Exception: the robust moth

Fit for the future

While you can already feel quite comfortable with these and other bikes “in the village”, there is still a lot to do, especially in the cities.

It is to be hoped that the city in the Rhineland will not only remain on its steadily increasing cycling course under its current mayor, Then maybe one day, in the not too distant future, it will become the federal capital—of cyclists.

We tested these everyday bikes

brand	Model	Price	predicate
Elops	LD900LF	699 euros
Bergamont	Summerville St Pauli	899 euros
Green’s	Royal Ascot	899 euros	Price-performance
Bicycles	Cadiz	999 euros	Price-performance
Victoria	Trekking 5.8	1299 euros
Falter	C 4.0Plus	1449 euros	Recommendation
Gudereit	Premium 11.0 evo lite	1599 euros

The tested everyday bikes in the picture gallery