Finding the best utility bike?
The world we live in is changing by the day. Our government may be slow to adapt to our changing transport needs but its clear that people like yourself are finding alternatives to car ownership.
I was born in the 1980s, so home ownership seems like a utopian dream and car ownership isn’t really an option, however bicycles offer me the freedom to do what I want, when I want to.
However until the bicycle industry catches up with the kind of bicycles people need, I prefer to build them myself.
Porteur Bikes
A lot has already been written about porteur bikes on the internet, so I’m not going to start repeating it. But basically they are a type of utility bike designed for carrying weight on a front rack (traditionally newspapers). But this design is ideally suited for an everyday workhorse. The don’t have to be ridiculously heavy like many city bikes. They can have as many or as few gears as is required and they can carry a load, so they are as ideal for trips shopping as they are for going to the pub.
Utility Bike On A Budget
Like most people of my generation, I like to do things on a tight budget, after all cycling should be accessible, shouldn’t it? Doing things on a budget has other benefits too, for instance keeping older bikes on the road.
Older frames like this Claud Butler are perfect for building a utility bike. They don’t need to be superlight, the just need to be in reasonable condition and have plenty of clearance for mudguards and wide tyres. And if the original paintwork is a bit rough-looking it won’t look like a brand new bike when you lock it up outside Tesco.
Next Time
By starting off with a frame such as this one we can build a bike which suits the area which you live. For me that, that means gears! As I do live in Yorkshire!
In the next blog post I’ll detail what parts you need to complete your build while keep the costs below £500…
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