IKEA jumps into the bike/bike accessories market, and...WOW!

I am THRILLED and amazed to see what IKEA has introduced in the US market for bikes.

As an advocate for everyday/everyone biking, this is what dreams are made of... and many of us already everyday-ers, there are super affordable accessories that I am dying to check out IRL. 

Looks like all will be available next month. Field trip?

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/ikea_famil...

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on January 15, 2017 at 9:31am

I'm an IKEA fan in general, especially for their storage solutions.  However, it would be nice if they'd give the actual specs for this somewhere.  I'm not sure if just two frame sizes is enough, and it would be good to at least know the tire width.  I do like the attachments.

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on January 15, 2017 at 10:47am
I assume that would be on the specs tab, but it's not? Lame. I found most of what I needed to know abt the trailer and front basket from the pdfs. Will look for more details.
Permalink Reply by Tiberculosis on January 16, 2017 at 3:45am

Spotted this at the Ikea in Schaumburg last night. The seat and handlebar angles make this pretty modular, maybe more so than a diivy. I wish it was just all disc. the front brake is disc, the rear is coaster. The basket/trailer option is pretty cool.

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on January 16, 2017 at 10:39am

Cool! 

Permalink Reply by ad on January 16, 2017 at 6:57am

The Guardian ran a review: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/02/ikea-sladda-bicy...

For a belt-drive bicycle with decent entry-level components, the price seems pretty solid.  The building-it at-home things is going to be a big barrier of entry for many people, but this strikes me as pretty similar to a Linus Bike (dutch/utility bike aesthetic at a more realistic entry-level price point) with some well thought out ease-of-use features like the front basket and trailer. 

I'd argue a good step for making utility cycling more accessible for people who can't afford a $1000+ dutch bike. 

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on January 16, 2017 at 11:36am

Thanks for sharing the review. I agree that the key is making utility cycling more accessible. Seems really nicely thought out. 

Permalink Reply by dav on January 16, 2017 at 8:03am

I wonder how heavy it is.

Permalink Reply by ad on January 16, 2017 at 9:33am

I thought I read 33 lbs. in one of the reviews I saw online, which is a bit heavy compared to similar builds.  Maybe that's with the optional front rack.

My wife's Linus Mixte (with a SRAM 3 speed hub), which is a mostly hi-ten steel frame, comes in at 33lbs.  I would have thought the IKEA would be a bit lower weight than a hi-ten comparable build.   

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on January 16, 2017 at 7:32pm

Still not too many particulars available for this bike.  I'd like to know where and by whom the frame is made, for one thing, and the wheels and tires.  When they say there's a 28-inch version, that probably means 700C wheels, right?  What are the two gear ratios?  I did look at some YouTube videos with shots of the instructions, and I think that the inexperienced cyclists Ikea says they're targeting are going to have some hard work to do assembling and adjusting this thing.  There isn't a safe margin for error like with, say, a coffee table.  That front brake cable had better be right!  Will everyone understand that left pedals are reverse-threaded and have to be screwed in counterclockwise?  Is the bottom bracket maintainable?  How much will it cost to have a bike shop properly assemble something like this?  Are the parts standard in size?  I have a feeling that a lot of people on the Chainlink will be helping friends and family with these this spring.  Which is not an evil thing, I suppose.  And I guess the helmets are cute.     

Permalink Reply by ad on January 17, 2017 at 4:13am

28-inch are also commonly referred to as 650b, and it's a pretty common size now on utility bikes (including dutch bikes).  Plenty of tires available for that size rim.

Public and bikes direct obviously use a similar build-it-yourself model of sales, and it's worked ok, though IKEA I think does deal with an even less bike-savy crowd that might not know what they're getting into.   In my experience, I've seen shops charge around $100 to assemble, which does raise the price significantly but keeps the bike competitive with what else is out there that is similar (and most other bikes at this price point would not have a belt drive, which I think is IKEA's hook here). 

You're right that a full spec sheet would be nice.  I'm sure the bottom bracket is serviciable, but it would be nice to know if its British threaded, etc.  The SRAM hub specs are probably available through SRAM, but again annoying that you'd have to search it out.  Personally, I'd rather it had a 3-speed hub rather than the automatix, but IKEA is obviously going for ease of use here. 

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 17, 2017 at 6:21am

As far as what your LBS might charge to assemble an IKEA bike, i don't think they would take too kindly to putting labour into any bike that they didn't sell in the first place. It wouldn't win you many friends with the management.

Just sayin'.

Permalink Reply by ad on January 17, 2017 at 5:01am

Actually, I'm wrong, it's not 650b (which is 27.5).  28 inch rims do appear to fit 700c tires in most instances, though. 

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