Cory and his Surly 1X1

Here is a brief profile of a recent, happy customer who took delivery of a custom-assembled bike by Cycle 9. One reason for profiling Cory is to get the word out that Cycle 9 is not just an "electric bike" store. Some people have come to see us that way. It really hit home recently, when one of our friends went out and purchased a new commuting bike, without even having a look at what we had to offer in our store. Seeing that we have a full inventory of non-electric commuting bikes by Marin, Breezer, Surly, and Downtube, I was a bit offended. But since I talk about electric bikes and electric conversion kits so often, it is understandable that some people think Cycle 9 = electric. We are actually about getting people to ride their bikes more, whether electrified or not. Bikes are the ultimate local transportation solution, and we're here to help people realize that.

Cory with his brand new Surly 1X1, with Nuvinci continuous variable hub (not an electric bike).

Cory wanted a better way to commute that was virtually maintenance-free, like a singlespeed would be. However, his commute involves traversing hills with over 20% grades, often carrying a loaded backpack. He didn't feel that this would be practical on an every day basis with a singlespeed bike. With Cory's input, we came up with a great solution for him. We started with Surly's great singlespeed platform, the 1x1. We added to it an internally geared, continuously variable hub by Nuvinci, with a custom wheel built by Cycle 9. On top of that there are nice touches like the Surly Mr Whirly crankset and Soma Noah's arc handlebars, and Cory has a bike that is rock solid, will require very minimal maintenance, and gives him an extensive gear range for hill climbing. This is a bike that will still be running in 20 years. It was not inexpensive, but it will far outlast many of the less expensive bikes, being a much better bargain in the long run.

This is the kind of solution we're here to help people with.