The Downtube bike

On the weekend of November 7 and 8, 2015, I traveled to Pennsylvania and attended the Philadelphia Bicycle Exposition. My host John Schubert lent me his Downtube folding bicycle. I used it to explore the city and shoot video of bicycling conditions.

As I returned to the expo, Mark Casasanto, of Imperial Security, asked me whether I’d pose with three nattily-attired young women, members of his security team. Well, why not!? So I did, with the Downtube bicycle. Here’s Mark’s photo.

John Allen with members of the Philly Bike Expo security team. Photo by Mark Casasanto.

Russian Immigrant Yan Lyansky sources and imports Downtube bicycles. He promotes them on the Internet, and sells them by mail order out of a warehouse, avoiding middleman expenses.

It is often easiest for an outsider to see the big picture in new surroundings. Having lived under the thumb of Soviet Communism, many Russian immigrants, in my experience, are wide-eyed to the opportunities offered by the free enterprise system.

(This specific bicycle is an older model, no longer available. The company has newer models — described on its Web site)…

At $269, even in 2006, this bicycle was a bargain. That the Downtube is a folding bicycle makes it easier to ship, and no customer assembly is needed. Even the pedals come pre-installed — folding pedals.

The Internet business model, now being increasingly adopted by mainstream bicycle brands, is a serious headache for brick-and-mortar bicycle shops — which can sell a bicycle but also customize, maintain and repair it. In case you didn’t know, their numbers are in decline.

But on the other hand, the Downtube is by no means a “bicycle-shaped object” — cheaply made and poorly assembled, as commonly sold at big-box retailers, the other bane of the brick-and-mortar segment.  The DownTube is a somewhat clunky but serviceable folder. The frame is stiff: the bike rides a lot like my old (also clunky but serviceable) customized Raleigh Twenty. Mechanically, everything about the Downtube works OK. The hinges have a clever safety feature in case someone forgets to tighten the quick releases. The derailleur gearing works fine, but I hear that the Sturmey-Archer 8-speed internal-gear hub on some Downtube bikes was a real headache, too many returns under warranty. Too bad about that: I like IG hubs better for city bikes.

I did find a couple of corners cut in components and assembly.

• While the wheels were true, and had good aluminum rims, the spokes are cheap, galvanized, noticeably corroded in the ten years since this bicycle was new. Galvanized spokes on some of my bikes have lasted 30 years or more, but corrosion could be a problem for someone who keeps the bike near salt water.
• The rims have recessed spoke holes, and the rim strips were not fabric, but rubber which the inner tube can punch through and go flat — also too wide to fit in the well of the rim, keeping he tires from seating properly. I replaced the rim strips with glass fiber strapping tape, which John had available. That works, though I like ductape better for this use. In either case, three or four layers should be applied.
• 

  Over-wide rubber rim strip

  Bearings in one hub were overtightened. This problem really needs attention as it can lead to early failure. This is the kind of thing which a pre-sale checkover in a bike shop can set right.  (Though sad to say, that doesn’t always happen either! Usually, though.)

A couple of specifications also weren’t to my preference:

• The rear  fender could extend farther back. The tire can still throw water up at the cyclist.
• The handlebars are unnecessarily long. The extra leverage of long handlebars is really necessary only for technical off-road riding and is hazardous in tight situations.  Catching a handlebar end on a post, the side of a vehicle etc. turns the front wheel to one side and results in a hard fall.

But all in all, as I said, the Downtube is a serviceable bicycle and the price was right.

John Schubert obtained this bicycle in the first place to write a review for Adventure Cyclist magazine, going into more detail on both technical specifications and the business model. Lyansky refused to take the bicycle back, and it has seen various uses, by several people, over the years. John rides it in the videos from our 2009 New York City field trip.

When I sent John my comments about the bike in an e-mail, he replied: “to me, its biggest shortcoming is that it is still pretty large when folded.  I also dislike the suspension fork.  I prefer rigid forks.  If I were to use a folding bike regularly, I’d buy something that folded more compactly.  But a folding bike just isn’t part of my current lifestyle.”

Well, a folding bike is part of my lifestyle, the bike-business issues are interesting, and so, you have this blog post! The suspension fork also helped to reduce shake in my videos.