ookiihito

...not as cool looking as the 17" but it is still well built.

I'd provide a review of my Worksman experience but, I am waiting to hear back from them on a frame I paid for but never received.

Customer service leaves much to be desired as does the fit and finish. American made, yes, but not as well made as it could be -- serious lack of attention to detail.

It is a strong bike provided you reinforce the post with square steel tubing and epoxy. I have a posting on that somewhere.

StephenH

"Can you get these in a large frame?"

You have the straight frame or the curved frame. I expect the layout of the components is about the same either way, but the straight frame gives a bigger frame measurement. Anyway, you'll run out of knee room before you run out of seat extension. Last time I measured, I was 6'-1 1/2", and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone taller (or with longer legs)

BTW- took the crank bearings out, regreased them, still have the noise. It might be a pedal, might be the sprocket shifting on the crank, might be the bearings. It doesn't do it if you pedal with no load (so you can't listen to it while you turn it by hand), and doesn't do it if you go too slow.

StephenH

I think I found my cricket noise- the right pedal. I oiled and noise seems to be gone now.

I finally got around to counting teeth- 44 on the front, 22 on the rear.

cousincletus

You can get the Jr. 12" Highrise bars for 2 bucks extra. Also, if the seatpost isn't long enough, a longer one from the bike shop. I have one on order for my wife 20" frame, high handlebars, 3 speed with the optional smaller front sprocket. I'll post back when she gets it. She is tall too. Somewhere around 5'11" She wanted a basic cruiser type bike with coaster brakes and not all the other gearing, lower handlebar position, narrow seat, etc., that goes with a mountain bike.

StephenH

Just an update. Still riding the bike. I took it on the Turkey Roll ride last fall and did the 32 mile route. Took it on the Happy New Rear route on New Years Day and did the 28 mile route there. I find going up a reasonable hill, it's great, and I can actually pass a number of people (can't downshift, so you either increase power output or walk!). Too many hills or miles and it would be handy to downshift, though. On the New Years ride, I did several miles back into a pretty stiff wind at about 11 mph. I've been riding quite a bit on weekends at White Rock Lake and trying to irmprove my average time there. Best so far is 15.7 mph over about 22.5 miles, and that's a pretty good little workout. I've actually gotten up to 19 mph while passing people out there. I've discovered fenders can be really really handy at certain times. I have dreams of doing the HHH but that's a ways off yet. And will probably try some other rides in between. The bike is unusual enough at these events to garner a few favorable comments. It's sort of like driving a Model T- most people wouldn't want to drive one, but they think it's cool if you do.

I didn't realize it but the double-bar frame is a very old design, commonly used on old Raleighs and dutch bikes, although the double bars were often put closer together.

Air

Whoa - 15.7 is a great average!

StephenH

For those not familiar with it, the White Rock Creek/ Lake trail is just almost flat- a couple of rises that don't slow you down much- so I can do it faster than the charity rides, which tend to have actual Hills. So I'll pass some people, and have other guys go zipping past me on occasion, too.

And on the charity rides, I'll be trying the ones with the least hills, not just random ones.

Marrock

My girlfriend has one of Worksman's Tri-fecta folding trikes, she'd been riding it for a few years now with no problems whatsoever.

When we got it I had to install the seat, seatpost, stem, bars, and front wheel and the only "modifications" I had to make to assemble it were removing a bit of errant paint on the sliding bolt that locks the frame together at the fold, adjusting the chain tension, and tightening a loose screw on the chainguard.

Now she's talking about replacing the wire basket with a custom woven willow one from David Hembrow and getting a set of Woody's wooden fenders and chainguard for it.

She's going for a sort of retro look I guess.

c_m_shooter

For those not familiar with it, the White Rock Creek/ Lake trail is just almost flat- a couple of rises that don't slow you down much- so I can do it faster than the charity rides, which tend to have actual Hills. So I'll pass some people, and have other guys go zipping past me on occasion, too.

And on the charity rides, I'll be trying the ones with the least hills, not just random ones.


Everyone knows there aren't any hills in Texas

StephenH

Well, an update to this old thread.

My Worksman bike is now going into semi-retirement. I just recently got a new Raleigh Sojourn to use for longer rides. I've bought a Wald giant delivery basket for the front of the Worksman and the largest rear baskets, and have them installed. I have converted my heavy cruiser into a battleship. It'll get ridden to the grocery store now and again, and stuff like that, but the Sojourn is becoming the #1 bike now.

I've got about 7,700 miles on my Worksman. I've ridden it on the Hotter-n-Hell 100 twice, rode it 131 miles on a 211k brevet with Lone Star Randonneurs, rode a 107 mile permanent, and did a unsupported century down in south Texas, so a total of 5 century + rides on it. I rode it on the Beauty and the Beast charity ride in Tyler and the Goatneck ride in Cleburne, both of which are hillier rides. On the B&B, that about killed me, and I think I was the last one in off that course (but still got in before the course officially closed, on a 100k course). The Goatneck ride didn't seem that hard. I've also tried a couple of 200k brevets/permanents this summer that I didn't complete, due to heat/fitness/bike issues, hard to sort out one cause. Anyway, the Sojourn is partly an answer to those rides.

Riding the Sojourn instead of the Worksman adds about 2.5-3 mph to my average speed, going from 13.3 or so to 15.5 or 16 or so. That's not a vast difference, but that would mean finishing a century an hour sooner.

XPhilX

I have a 36T Wald sprocket coming in the mail for my Worksman. It should be here tomorrow. Stoked!!!

Rhodabike

My first bike ever (age 12) was like this. My father pinched, um, I mean brought home a men's delivery bike from the oil refinery where he worked. My older brother had it first, then I inherited the all-steel monstrosity when he got bored with it. Thinking back, I must have had the strongest quads of any 12 year old girl in the neighborhood, to have been riding that clunker all over the place. Seems to me I even won a few races with boys riding 3-speed banana seat bikes.

Zevzec

Just wondering, do you know how much the bike weighs?

Thanks.

stevel610 

Thought About a Worksman. Got one of these instead. Weighs 32 or so unloaded, 45 or so with bag and 8 speed Nexus. Have done a couple metric centuries but doubt I'd do a regular.

p.s. Nice job reviving a 3 year old thread, I read your original when looking at the Worksman.

LeeG

what cracks me up about bikes is that your times aren't much different than the average person on a 25lb touring bike. Just keep air in the tires and roll on!

DanteB

I have one of these Worksman, it's called a low gravity bike. I use it to run to the store instead of my road bike, I love it.

bautieri

Is your advertising budget so low that you have to spam forums?

JusticeZero

I remember i'd looked at these before; at that time they offered 7 speed hubs. They don't seem to anymore. Pity, as a wide range of gears has always been my number one need. Not so much a range of close gears like a road bike, but rather the fact that on my bike, I have an extended range of mtb gears and where I live I still manage to get a lot of use out of the extreme ends of the gearing spectrum.
The default Nokians sold in Anchorage are Extremes; those are 26x2.1 according to the side of the tire. If the standard tire maxes out at 2.125 then they would most likely work. If not, the Mount And Ground is x1.9 and works fine on my recumbent conversion, which has a much more restrictive tire size limit.

gymswhirled

I am offended by your comment and that my post was removed, what's the point of this .net if I can't be open and honest about a product in a thread about the product? No advertising was intended, or implied - what I wrote was an honest review of a bike company and my opinion of their product. I would appreciate an appology and having my post placed back on this thread.

Nightshade

I just bought a Worksman Cruiser with a 7 sp hub so they do still offer them.

MechanicalMan

I'm interested in these Dutchie bikes that they're coming out with. I may buy one of these if my efforts to obtain a Civia Loring at a decent price keep failing.

ookiihito

UPDATE Fall 2011

I got the frame and it still sits waiting for the build. Looking for a post-war Schwinn straight bar. I lost 140 lbs. so I am looking to go old skool! I bought the Worksman becuse I would have folded and old skool Schwinn.

I've had the INB for over 3 years now and I am pretty happy with it so far. Still, fit and finish could be better.

ebrandwein

I have one of these. Black three speed like the model on the left. I replaced the bars with a more straight type. Easier to grip in my opinion. Otherwise, fun bike for NYC. Just did a 37 mile ride around town last weekend.

Angelis

Love worksman bikes. Had one of their trikes at my old job and it was a hoot. I've been debating getting a cruiser from them for a bit now.

But their website is a joke, and needs serious updating.

Nightshade

A lot of the way Worksman does business is pure old school ,like their web site, but their bikes are first class!!

That said, are you going to buy a Worksman or just criticize their web site????