The bicycle industry has tested everyone’s pricing tolerance to the limit over the last few years, with frequent discussions on message boards about how unattainable pro bike pricing has become. I also hear and see a lot about greenwashing, and the increasingly cynical view people have about companies that claim to want to do good.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, and in our recent sub-2k grouptest, I found four excellent examples of bikes that you can buy at price points that haven’t changed much in a decade, but still deliver on value. Not that ‘sub 2k’ is still very entry-level for many people, of course.
I receive numerous press releases from brands eager to highlight their next special edition bike, cycling product, or charity tie-up, but not all get coverage, for obvious reasons. Some are at crazy prices, like Colnago’s latest £19k/$26k C68 Rosso Vuelta edition, and at the other end of the scale, from collaborations like Cannondale’s with skateboard brand Palace on a version of their Bad Boy hybrid. On the face of it, this latest one from Quella is the kind of bike that might only catch my eye on a slow news day.
Not because it’s not elegant, well-designed, or good value, but because I have to discern between what’s actually new tech, what our cycle enthusiast audience wants from us, and what’s just a special run of an existing bike. The latter tends to be less newsworthy in the general sense, regardless of the brand.
Quella offers a range of good-value lifestyle and commuter bikes, all based on a single frame and fork, designed to meet the needs of different customers. With prices starting at around £600, the British brand aims to make buying and owning a bike for commuting simple and fuss-free, featuring a low-maintenance design that can withstand some wear and tear, while also looking good. They’re all based on fixie style, although some have gears, and sit within the best commuter bike niche, where there’s plenty of competition and similar products. Their e-bike product starts at just £1499, which is a low entry to the electric bike market, and makes good use of the fascinating Zehus Generation 2 hub, which stores the battery and motor within the wheel hub.
With so many other brands competing for attention at this competitive price point, a press release about another special edition city bike might not typically get through our content filter. Still, this one caught our eye because of its tie-up with Life Cycle.
The Bristol-based charity helps rehabilitate ex-offenders by retraining them as bike mechanics, enabling them to restore bikes for sale to the public. They use the proceeds to encourage more people to get involved in cycling, including training children in road safety.
A charity tie-up isn’t usually a ticket to coverage, either; however, in this case, it’s the level at which Quella is backing Life Cycle in this new initiative that is worthy of a mention. It’s pretty extraordinary.
The press release claims that “25% of the proceeds from the sale of each bike” go straight to the charity. The cynic in me enquired, expecting that more detail might not be forthcoming or might lead us to a shadowy calculation involving words like profit margin, but I need not have been so sceptical.
Quella is actually backing the charity as part of this initiative to the tune of £167.50 per bike. That’s laudable. More of this, please, cycle industry.
So, how will Life Cycle spend the 25% it receives from the sale of each Quella bike? They tell me the money could be used for anything from providing cycling adventures for people with disabilities to offering rehabilitative bike mechanic training in prisons across the South West.
Commenting on the tie-up, Ed Norton, CEO of Life Cycle, said:
“We believe cycling should be for people of all ages and abilities. This bike represents that ethos. It’s for the commuter, the everyday rider. And with every sale, we can help more people find freedom and confidence on two wheels.”
Joshua Hale, General Manager of Quella, says: “We’re proud to work with Life Cycle on something that has real impact. This isn’t just a beautiful bike – it’s a vehicle for change.”
And at the level they’re investing, we can’t argue with that.
(Image credit: Quella)
I’ve got one of their bikes on test as we speak, the Nero Classic Geared bicycle, and while it’s nothing like the other bikes I usually test, and while it’s not without fault, the humble little Quella has quickly become one of my favourite bikes to ride. It’s been a bit of a revelation to me, and it’s made carefree cycling accessible once again. I literally throw a leg over it and go.
So, if this sounds like it could be up your street, the Quella x Life Cycle commuter bike is available for pre-order at quellabicycle.com with a portion of every sale funding Life Cycle’s award-winning projects.
