Anybody heard of Priority bikes?

[Chris S]

Apparently they're an established brand in the US who are entering the UK market.

Their spec seems OK until the bit about the boxed bicycle weighing 18 kgs. I realize that some of that is packaging but it's the same weight as my Batavus, which is made out of thick steel tubing, has drum brakes, integral lights, metal mudguards, a full chaincase and a heavy duty pannier rack.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111671146...l?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=111671146196&_rdc=1

 

[Drago]

Firstly, being a bit porky isn't such an issue for a town cruiser like that.

And second, there is no universal industry adopted standard by which bikes are measured, so comparisons with manufacturers claims for similar bikes should be treated with suspicion.

 

[raleighnut]

if it has a 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gear I'm not surprised at the weight. The Sturmey Archer hub gear is a lump of pig iron a very solidly engineered piece of kit designed to last until hell freezes over a very long time.
My latest project is a Raleigh 'courier' with a SA 3 speed but it has been on hold for a while (18 months) I've now got the wheels which have been converted to 700c aluminium rims (from 26in steel) also an aluminium Stronglight single ring crank and have dug out and refurbished a pair of brake calipers. I hope mine comes in weighing a bit less than that though.

 

[Gravity Aided]

www.prioritybikes.com
Seems to me like there are a lot of these makers of bikes popping up all over the internet. I've never seen or heard of one until now.

 

[priorityconnor]

Apparently they're an established brand in the US who are entering the UK market.

Their spec seems OK until the bit about the boxed bicycle weighing 18 kgs. I realize that some of that is packaging but it's the same weight as my Batavus, which is made out of thick steel tubing, has drum brakes, integral lights, metal mudguards, a full chaincase and a heavy duty pannier rack.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111671146196?ru=http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=111671146196&_rdc=1

Hi Chris- jumping in quickly...our sample size S/M is 11.3kgs- 25lbs. The box has a kickstand, water bottle cage, assembly tools, floor pump, and packaging which provides the balance of the shipping weight. The bike itself is light (aluminum), and the hub is the Nexus Inter-3. We sell completely over the internet, keeping overhead low, and selling at customer direct prices. Hit us with any questions...info@prioritybicycles.com or check out Facebook.com/ridepriority for reviews. Thanks for checking us out.

 

[raleighnut]

Hi Chris- jumping in quickly...our sample size S/M is 11.3kgs- 25lbs. The box has a kickstand, water bottle cage, assembly tools, floor pump, and packaging which provides the balance of the shipping weight. The bike itself is light (aluminum), and the hub is the Nexus Inter-3. We sell completely over the internet, keeping overhead low, and selling at customer direct prices. Hit us with any questions...info@prioritybicycles.com or check out Facebook.com/ridepriority for reviews. Thanks for checking us out.

You will do better in the UK with a few dealers, bike shops over here dislike working on bikes purchased over the internet (ultimately you are stealing their trade and forcing them out of business) and charge accordingly. I'm also puzzled by your website quoting $200 to ship to the UK, surely these bikes are made in the far east so a UK distributer would make more sense.

 

[priorityconnor]

You will do better in the UK with a few dealers, bike shops over here dislike working on bikes purchased over the internet (ultimately you are stealing their trade and forcing them out of business) and charge accordingly. I'm also puzzled by your website quoting $200 to ship to the UK, surely these bikes are made in the far east so a UK distributer would make more sense.

Hi Raleighnut - The logistics of tariffs and shipping is a complicated one, particularly country to country (or country to country to country)- a long story better told over a few beers . In time dealers may fit into the plan or interesting partnerships with different kinds of companies. We certainly still recommend bike shops for accessories, service, other bikes, etc. - our Priority Bicycle is great for everyday use, but not so great down a mountain or on a century. Any shop that we know of that we can recommend we do. I've got one around the corner from me in Los Angeles, to where I send people all the time - Brakeless LA. Great guys and super helpful. We only make one bike (another soon) so our product line isn't killing a business where there are bikes with a lot more features such as mountain bikes, road bikes, folding,etc. (and a lot more margin). Our goal has just been to make a great product accessible to recreational riders.

 

[srw]

The ebay model, at £215 delivered, looks like a real bargain for a bike for a flat city like London or Oxford. I assume it's a bit of a loss leader to establish a market presence? The design choices look sensible - although I would want the front brake - not least because two brakes are a legal requirement in the UK.

It's the sort of very basic bike the Dutch and German companies should be pushing over here. The success of Brompton, Boris bikes and Pashley suggests that there is an untapped market for traditional, staid, getting-around-not-too-quickly bikes that are also cheap.