<
In the quest to create the most maintenance-free commuter bike on the market, Torker has taken it upon themselves to try to broaden our horizons a bit with their brand new Graduate, available for 2010 for about $500. On quick glance, the bike appears to be a simple, no frills urban commuter—something that won’t stand out when locked to a parking meter. No derailleurs, no suspension, no visible brakes? Even the standard paint is gray with minimalist decals and black components. The overall look is basically what comes to mind when someone says “urban commuter.” It’s an upright bike whose clean lines and sloping geometry looks fast and spry enough to avoid the surprise pothole, yet tough enough to withstand one. Actually riding the bike lives up to the first impression where the balance between speed and sturdiness succeeds without compromising too much of either.
On closer inspection, there are some exciting things going on. Torker has hooked up the bike with beautiful alloy high-flange Sturmey Archer 5-speed internally geared hubs with drum brakes actuated by Avid Speed Dial levers. The All Rounder bars are a bit wide for my tastes, but do help put your body in a comfortable riding position that is still a bit aggressive. The standard fenders are a great addition that may help steer some undecided buyers into the saddle knowing that they won’t have to add them later. Also, the stock tires are a sturdy 32mm Tioga Gritty Slicker that give you the option to take this directly from the road to some light trails. Stripped down to the basics, the bike looks and rides what you’d expect and want from a versatile urban commuter. When compared to the current crop of single speed and fixed gear commuters, its 29.5 lbs is on the heavy side, but not so bad that it would turn a few flights of stairs into a chore. Compared to other multispeed bikes with fenders and city tires at the same price point, the Graduate is only marginally heavier, primarily due to the drum brakes.
The internal gearing worked as it should—fast and reliable, although I had to keep reminding myself that it helps to stop pedaling for a smoother shift. The internal gears allow you to shift even while waiting at a traffic light. This did come in handy several times after coming to a stop at the bottom of a large hill, and forgetting to shift to a climbing gear. The internal gear/grip shift combo is fairly sensitive, so slight bump would often accidentally shift to higher gear, usually at inopportune moments like during a climb or from a stop, when you are using your handlebars to provide leverage.
It was slightly surprising that the 5-speed didn’t cover a broader range of gears. The direct drive 3rd gear and the 42×16 gear ratio added up to about 71 gear inches, with 1st gear coming in at 45 gear inches and 5th gear at 113 inches. I found myself wishing that the lowest gear was slightly easier and the highest gear slightly harder, but I’m also riding up and down the legendary hills of Pittsburgh. A broader range would also make the steps between gears much more pronounced. I found myself shifting between two fairly similar gears pretty frequently, in an attempt to find that perfect cadence. Had the steps been larger, I probably would have settled on a gear much quicker. With the lack of a serious climbing gear in mind, I probably wouldn’t choose this bike to explore Western Pennsylvania’s rural roads, but reserve it for rides on predictable terrain where I know what hills I’ll be challenged with.
The drum brakes were a pleasant surprise. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical of them at first, old habits do die hard, but that was quickly washed aside once I tried them out. The drums respond really well, providing for smoother and more predictable braking than most rim brakes, although not being able to lock the wheel to a skid was a bit strange to get used to. The idea with the drums is that, aside from some cable work now and again, you won’t have to tend to them until you need to replace the wheels. One of the downsides is that when you do need to replace the wheels, a mechanic that knows how to service them may be hard to find, so make sure to pick your shop wisely when purchasing this. A shop that deals with tandems will surely know how to work on drum brakes and find the correct parts. Even a simple wheel change will require a little homework, but isn’t terribly hard. To take the wheels off, the rear requires removing a bolt and disconnecting the shifter cable, while both the front and the rear require disconnecting their respective brake cables, but that’s made easy with a simple quick release set-up. Also, when mounting the wheels, there are special washers to make sure that the wheel, and the levers that provide the braking to the drums, are lined up properly.
Knowing that water and snow don’t seriously affect or muck up the drum brakes or internal gearing makes the addition of the Graduate a practical bad-weather addition to your fleet. The relatively inexpensive $499.99 MSRP means that entry-level riders will be attracted to this bike as well. Proper sizing is important, and luckily even at this level Torker offer 6 frame sizes to fit a wide variety of people. Putting parts that are harder-to-find and service on a bike that new riders may purchase, and have to take care of, is a gamble that Torker made, and I hope that it works out for them. From the perspective of someone who has helped hundreds of cyclists that refuse to get their hands dirty or are afraid to mess something up, a bicycle that requires less maintenance is appreciated, and can help make cycling more accessible to more people. However, entry-level riders should take care when buying this, as the setup is a trailblazing of sorts, and should expect to have to put more effort into servicing it or looking for parts if need be. But given the simplicity of the bike, that time may never come.
I wonder what the rationale was for going with the drum brakes. Wouldn’t V-brakes be a lighter, cheaper alternative that’s also easily serviceable (Knows nothing about drum brakes so I’m genuinely curious)?
Drums are maintenance-free and immune from the elements. With V-brakes, you have to replace pads and keep the rims clean or those pads will eat the brake tracks for lunch.
Personally I’d rather have a set of BB7 discs on a foul weather rig. Far easier maintenance and 99.9% as immune as drums while providing more power and modulation control.
Brake squabbles aside (see other comments-I second the bb7 vote,BTW)…that’s one gorgeous budget blaster (not just aesthetically):)
I agree that BB7s are going to be better brakes than the drums on this bike – but a BB7 + IGH equipped bike is going to cost at least twice as much as the Graduate.
So if you ride somewhere where theft is a concern, this bike is a pretty awesome package. Have to admit I’d be tempted if there was anyone who sold them in Vancouver.
Here in the UK a “town-bike” with disk brakes is going to catch a theif’s eye much more than a drum brake equipped bike. For this reason I see the appeal of drum brakes. Tho, let’s hope those tyres (tires) are seriously puncture-resistant because removing/replacing the rear wheel will be a major headache for the spanner-averse!
Maybe Erok has never seen a drum brake on a bicycle before, he seems kinda confused or dumfounded by the logic behind it. They are very user friendly and require no maintanence.
@ Mark A There’s no real reason for it to cost double, for example, a S/A drum hub costs between$50 and 70 where as Shimano Deore disc hub can be had for about $22, BB5’s can be had for $28 and BB7’s for $39 all with retail markup. That’s keeping it in a pretty good quality / name brand area. If you wanted to go cheap on the hub or use a Tektro disc you could further undercut a drum quite easily. As for the rear, it might be a touch more challenging, but not impossible.
You guys…quit cher whinning!. Drum brakes have been the bees knees for years. Sound design, great stopping power and MAINTENANCE FREE! Good point about disk being a theft issue!
I will confessd that I have ridden a pre production GRAD and it was as smooth a glass!
FYI,
The review states the author could not lockup the drum brakes to cause a skid. This could be troublesome in Michigan in that the state law states that a bicycle shall have brakes that can cause the wheels to skid on a clean, dry, level surface.
@ Steven P. No such animal as maintenance free, however any chimp can work on a set of mechanical discs, provided they follow the instructions.
Why did it take so long for manufacturers to get hip to stock bikes with internal gearing? Drum brakes? It’s so utterly simple. It’s a shame that this setup is “trailblazing” when it’s far and above the most economical, low-cost, low-maintenance off-the-rack rig I’ve come across (Small exception- Kona Worldbike).
Seriously, drums are great. Low key, silent, very low maintenance. They also have a pleasantly gentle braking effect; always enough to stop you, seldom able to cause a skid, and always the same in wet or dry.
I am a user of the Sturmey-Archer drum brakes. It’s a case of horses for courses. If you have never actually used them then your opinion on them is worthless.
The drum brakes will lock nicely if you use good quality brake cable. The S-A cable has a bit of internal flex – which is probably deliberate to modulate the brakes for noobie owners.
I used S-A drum brakes in this year’s Strathpuffer 24 hour race (run in January, snow, Ice, slush, mud etc). It is regarded as a particularly tough race because of the conditions. The drums are perfect for the job.
IMO disk brakes are too fragile for this use if the course is really muddy. 2 years ago I got through 2 sets of disk pads and needed another set. Faster racers got through 5 sets.
The first race I did I used rim brakes and wore out brand new rims in the 24 hours as well as multiple sets of pads.
I stripped my drums after 18 months use and there are negligible signs of wear. They will be doing another Strathpuffer in 2 weeks time on my son’s bike.
I will probably be using the new 80mm front drum on mine if I can get the wheel built up in time.
(BTW I have several sets of quality disk brakes, eg AVid Juicy Ultimates, Marta SLs, etc so I do know what good stopping power is like.)
The stopping is not as delicate as a good disk, but it is more than adequate, and I would sooner not have to lose 20-30 minutes a time swapping out disk pads in the dark when exhausted, in sleet, and with my hands frozen numb and fingers like sausages. Any fractional amounts of time I may loose by not having disks are more than made up for by the huge amounts of time I gain by not having to work on the bike.
One thing I’d change – please make them lighter
Non-locking brakes are a good thing for the street where it is often wet and or slippery on the painted lines, cobble stones, metal grates/sewer lids, etc…. think about it. These retro drums are the future for commuting and urban use. Too bad they missed on the gear range span on the IGhub. At this price, you could put any rear IG hub you want on it after the fact. Great stuff Torker! Bravo perfect bike for a downed economy.
Good feedback on the brake thinking, but back to the core issue. I could ride ANY bike to work in Southern California, but my next thought is which one will meet my daily commuting needs? I suppose every commuter bike is a “compromise” of certain components over another. Are there better alternatives to the Torker right off the shelf? Overall it looks well thought out for what it is designed to do. Is there something off the shelf that is better?
PeeWee, I commute in LA: Pasadena area. You don’t need drums, you don’t need fenders (except for days like today!) and unless you live up in the hills or downtown, you don’t need gears. A single speed with the crank and cog perfectly aligned will do you just fine. I’d look at the Electra Tacino’s. There’s actually a LOT of options when you start taking OFF the heavy weather components.
Raiyn
In response to your pricing out of disc options. I found one hub option in the same price range. But it’s a 3 speed, the sram iMotion disc hub. Sturmey seems to have the only 5 speed available with a hub brake. The 7-9 speed options with disc are a lot more expensive, as is the nuvinci hub, with disc.
Here are some factors to consider.
1. Adding disc brake mounts to the frame. (this would be nice even if the bike isn’t stocked with the brakes)
2. Calipers/rotors
3. All Torkers with internal gearing have Sturmey Archer.
Costs to Customer:
1. Service on caliper.
2. Replacement of bent rotor.
The cheapest BB5 online is $35.
I think disc mounts would have been nice so the option is available down the line. But how many budget bikes do we see coming out with disc mounts.
The drum brakes are virtually maintenance free.
Disks are a continual maintenance hassle if you do any real mileage. The drum brake linings will outlast several sets of disk linings at a fraction of the cost. The disk rotor is also delicate and subject to warping in use, or bending if it gets a knock.
regarding sa drum brakes. I have over 7000km on my 75 lb velomobile and the drums stop me from 30 kph to o in less than 20 ft. only maintenance in this time is one cable adjustment. these are great hubs.
Trek’s Soho ( http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/soho/soho/ ) is a similar bike, but with Shimano Alfine, 8 speed internal hub, Shimano IM50, roller brakes, and a Gates Carbon-belt instead of a chain. The belt means about zero maintenance. MSRP $1150 (I think the belt is about $400 of that)
I have almost this very setup, home-built: XRD5 rear but with the dynamo/drum XFDD front (dynamo drives LED lights beautifully). About 1500 miles so far. The price of this bike is excellent. I paid about $400 for my wheelset (self-built).
I think all this talk of soft brakes and not-locking-up is misleading. The drums take a lot of running in – probably 500 miles; they’re alarmingly weak on first try. While my front 28mm T-Servs won’t lock up on dry tarmac, they will lock on anything else. Rear will lock on anywhere, any time. They’re stronger than dual pivot caliper brakes I’ve used, not far short of cantis, though not up to V-brakes or disks. Control is excellent.
I think their gearing is too high. The XRD5 doesn’t have great range, so I forgo the top end. I have 42:22. While that limits pedalling top speed to spinning at 24mph, it gives me a decent granny gear. I rarely use 1st except in winter snow with studs, so perhaps a little higher might be worthwhile.
The problem with the gears is the wide ratios (even worse is the current XRD5-W). I have 20:25:25:20 gaps, and I think the W is 20:33:33:20. 33 is pretty huge if you have a long gentle grade. Not a problem for <5 miles around town, but for my 10 mile commute I have had to fit carefully selected cogs to get the right gear available.
I kind of covet the SRAM i9 hub, but I'm very sad it doesn't have a drum option with it – I'm completely sold on them. Disks will wear out many times over before these drums need new pads. I'm never going back to rim brakes for year-round commuting (salt + sand = ground rims + work). Perhaps I'll go i9 with v-brakes for emergency use only.
As stated, a /major/ downside is rear wheel removal. It's a royal pain.
My Khs Urban x was 265 on sale . Has been bullet proof and is one hell of a commuter bike .