Saturday, June 23, 2012

Love at first sight

Okay, so my trip to Columbus was kind of fun, as much as business trips can be anyway, except for the getting into and out of the city. My experiences reminded me of why, when I fly for personal reasons, I never fly with... Oh, wait. Y'all don't want to read about my business trip do you? You're here for the PUBLIC Bikes C8 review, aren't you?
 
The PUBLIC box is sprinkled with quotes about bikes from the likes of Susan B. Anthony, Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, and Bob Weir. I savored every moment of opening the box and Scott hauled the bike out for me.


The PUBLIC assembly team had already installed the seat, rack, and bell for me. All I had to do was slip the handlebar into the head tube and attach the pedals (which are not part of the recalled set) to the crank arms -- pretty simple tasks, truth be told. The included tools meant that I didn't even have to search for anything in our toolbox except for a Phillips head screwdriver. After I'd put the bike together and pulled off all the cardboard packaging, I stepped back and gasped at its elegant beauty. I began champing at the bit to see if it really would be love at first ride.



It was. Sure, the C8 is no speed demon, but it holds its own. The ride quality is fairly smooth and it corners well. The bike is simply fun to ride. And hills? What hills? The 20-hate bridge was no match for this San Francisco-designed cycle, even with a basket and pannier loaded down with groceries.

Speaking of which... who knew that a Po Campo Loop Pannier could comfortably carry a six pack of hard lemonade?
I love how easy it is to step through the frame. The opening is not as spacious as my cruiser's, but I'd put the C8 on par with a Linus Dutchi. The reflective stripe on the cream tires is an inspired safety feature. I'm going to have to get used to such an upright riding position, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice. It was also fun seeing appreciative glances from passers-by and even getting "That's a great looking bike!" from an overtaking roadie.

Now, there are a couple of things I don't love: the grips and the saddle. The triangle grips hurt my palms and the material makes my skin crawl. The saddle is quite plush and feels ~so~ big compared to my other bikes' saddles. I will be trading out both of those items. Right now I'm considering either a Velo Orange or Selle Royal saddle. Grips will follow to match whichever saddle I decide upon since I can wear gloves in the meantime. I'm not in love with the bell, either, but that's a fairly minor swap if I decide that it's too irritating.

Overall, and after only a few miles of riding, I am beyond pleased with the C8 and I do not regret the purchase AT ALL. I'm looking forward to many, many miles ahead. Oh, and figuring out what its name is.


 More impressions on the C8 can be found here, here, here, and oh heck, just use the Public C8 tag. :)

9 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous bike! Elegant. And the color really puts it over the top...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I adore the lines of this frame. I agonized over the color, truth be told. But the powder blue is feminine without being screamingly so. The cream tires are divine even if the treads are already black.

      Delete
  2. Aw, now that's one pretty bike. Love the design and colour. What's wrong with the bell? I like it? Id agree about the grips also not sure about the plain black doesn't do the bike justice. Think a tan leather colour would suit much more!!

    Jez

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Aesthetically, I love the bell. It's the sound that bothers me as it's rather dissonant; that dissonance reminds of a car horn, to be honest. I also don't know that it's loud enough to be useful.

      The plain black is downright jarring. If I go with the Velo Orange saddle, it will be a honey tan leather, but if I go with the Selle Royal the saddle will be white. Decisions, decisions...

      Delete
  3. Love the yellowish bag from Po Campo next to the blue frame color. It's quite a pretty statement! I am glad to hear that you're happy thus far with the bike and hope that you'll find it useful and easy to ride. The saddles Public uses are a bit cushy - but that's a relatively easy fix. The set up from road to upright does take some getting used to, but I find if I ride both often enough, it doesn't seem to be as much of an issue.

    Hope you're able to get out and ride it more this weekend! The C8 looks absolutely lovely. :O)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought the blue leaves on the Po Campo bag might be close to the frame's color. They're almost an exact match! :)

      The plushness of the saddle is making finding the right height tricky. During the first test ride, I was practically pedaling with my toes! The saddle was at hip height, but at the top of my hip I think. Maybe they meant hip joint instead... Further research indicated. (Oh darn!)

      I don't know that I'll get to ride her (ah, okay, I'm starting to think of the bike as female) today since a friend is coming over to play in the pool with me, but the weather looks good for a bike commute tomorrow. =)

      Delete
  4. What a gorgeous bike! Wishing you many miles of riding.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello, I just received my PUBLIC C7 Bike in Cream and I absolutely love how it looks. However, my height is "5'7" and I received a M/L bike and I feel it just looks so large for my body. I took it on a test ride and it is perfect but I am just taken aback by the size of the bike. Did you feel this problem too, when you first bought your bike? How does your height go with the size you ordered? Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete