Gladys Bikes, a women-owned shop in Portland, introduces their newly built 1x8 Starling in the following manner:
LIKES:
PERSONALITY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Meandering rides on city streets with no particular destination in mind
- Taking the long way home from work
- Cruising through puddles on Spring day
- Trips to the farmer's market, followed by rides home with a basket filled with produce
- Anything by Loretta Lynn
- That feeling like you're flying that you get when you ride downhill from Pittock Mansion or Mount Tabor
- For $900, she's a steal
- 1x8 gearing makes it perfect for city riding, with nice low gears to get you up the hills (and higher ones for flying down them)
- Strong steel frame makes for a smooth and stable ride
- Mixte style step through allows for a great deal of stand over clearance for a wide variety of rider heights (approx. 5'3"- 5'8")
- Lots of clearance for fenders and racks, meant to haul anything you need it to rain or shine
- Robin's Egg Blue [we call it Peacock Blue] for the win!
- Stem and handlebars can be set to the height and length that are perfect for you, so it fits just so
The beauty of building a bike from the frame up is you can more fully suit the ride to the customer. The Starling's geometry is not a one trick pony. She can be built "sportfully" to take on long sightseeing rides, as well an easy going cruiser. Semi-custom builds are definitely something to explore if your shop hasn't been doing.
