Tribe Bicycle Co.

Sealed hubs, bearings, full chromoly frame, aluminum cranks for the price of a purefix. The guys were informative and very easy going, they weren't at all pushy with the sale, in fact they told me to go home think about it and come test ride tomorrow when they set it up for good. No brainer! I bought the bike and have been riding it for about a week... fixed, no brakes (even though they warned me to learn my bike first). I love it and I get compliments all the time. Definitely proud to be part of the tribe. I'm recommending everyone and their mama to ride a tribe. #Brooklyncrabcrew

These are excellent bikes, built with love by just two guys. I highly recommend going in person. Mitch and Wyatt explained the different models in stock, put the bike together for me on the spot, and gave me a great deal.

It was raining that day so Wyatt even gave me a lift home in the Tribe Van. Talk about going the extra mile! I found out about Tribe Bicycles through a friend and cannot recommend them enough.

Just passed the half year mark in my time behind the handlebars of a Tribe fixed gear bike, and though it’d be a good time to take a pit stop and share my experience with the rest of the world. After all, the weather’s finally starting to cooperate with us, and the time is ripe to saddle up.

Why I joined the Tribe

Tribe Bicycle Co. set up shop right around the same time I was in a market for a new bike for my daily commute, so timing worked out really well. I caught wind of their opening from a college alum who co-founded the company—a guy with an eye for perfection who takes an immense amount of pride in his work—so I didn’t have to worry when I pulled the trigger on an online order. All it took was 10 minutes of browsing and I knew a quality product was on its way.

The setup

The bike only took a couple of days to ship, and arrived in a large rectangular box light enough to walk over to the local bike shop for assembly. Grand total including tune up was around 30 dollars. It came with a bag of hexagonal wrenches that can be used to tighten the nuts and bolts…make sure that you hang on to yours as my bike shop “misplaced” mine. If you’re going to be riding it on a regular basis, I’d also recommend investing in a backup set of brake pads (I got a couple of Shimanos for ~ 10 bucks) especially if you are going with the standalone front brakes and opting for freewheel vs. fixed. I’ve only had to replace mine once, but nice to have when the time comes.

First impressions

This was my first time riding a bike with a single gear, so I was curious to see how it was going to go. Since Philadelphia is predominantly flat, I soon found that there’s a lot of peddling involved, but very easy peddling since the bike is so light. It really does most of the work for you. The pursuit bars I chose make it super easy to rip into the road and pick up speed (had to get used to releasing the outside of the bars and catching the inside for braking, but it quickly became second nature). Another thing you’ll want to do is set the bike peddles semi-vertically at 1 and 7 so you can put all your weight down for a quick start. The cabs and people texting & driving behind you will really appreciate that.

Lasting impressions

I know you’re not supposed to judge things by appearance (e.g., book by its cover) but I think we can make an exception here: this thing is as good as it looks. Like a cute puppy, it evokes a lot of attention from people on the street who want to know all about its breed and where you got it. Can’t blame them… it is truly phenomenal how well the paint has held up with the pole grinding action it gets every day. Just make sure to keep it out of the rain, and lube it up now and again to prevent rusting. As far as upgrades go, this bike can be as simple or complex as you want it to be – just note that modifications can add a noticeable amount of weight to it. Since it is my daily driver, I’ve added a rear rack, 2 fold away crates, and a cup holder – but you probably won’t need all of that unless you plan to use it for more than getting from point A to point B.

Why join the Tribe? Dependable, affordable, and sexy to boot

If you are looking for an easy way to get around town, and you want to ride in style, look no further. You are going to have a hard time finding a bike of this quality at this price. As long as I live in city, I will be riding a Tribe and using it to get me anywhere I need to go. I could not be happier with my purchase. Thanks to the Tribe for putting out some great products, looking forward to seeing what’s in store for us on the road ahead.