Product Description
Getting around town just got a lot cooler created with a sleek, sporty design, the Sonoma Urban Commuter offers top-quality performance and an easy, comfortable ride. It’s a smart choice whether you’re rushing to the office or taking a relaxing spin on the weekend. No matter what, you're saving gas and reducing carbon emissions.
This bike has the features you want and then some. Like all Sonoma chainless bicycles, the Urban Commuter features our exclusive chainless design – the hottest new trend in cycling. In addition, it also offers an exclusive T shock fork to help ensure a smooth ride, hi-density, dual rubber hand grips that are sturdy on the inside but smooth to the touch, an adjustable, ergonomically designed seat that makes even the longest ride more comfortable, reliable 700c Commuting tires and tubes, a lightweight, durable frame that makes it easy to park at the office or place in the car, and high-performance front and rear alloy V-brakes.
Of course, every Sonoma Urban Commuter is manufactured by Dynacraft, a leading manufacturer of bicycles with 25 years of experience. Plus, enjoy a lifetime warranty on the frame and D-drive system and 2-year warranty on all components. The Sonoma Urban Commuter takes advantage of our D-Drive chainless operating system. Because it’s a chainless bicycle, you’ll enjoy a cleaner, quieter ride every time. In addition, the D-Drive Chainless system is protected from the elements by a sealed, self-contained unit. This means you’ll spend less time dealing with maintenance and more time riding. Looking for comfort and style? Then take a close look at the Sonoma Urban Commuter. It’s an easy and fun way to become part of the chainless evolution – the hottest trend in bicycling today.
| Price: |
$389.49 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details |
| as of Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:25:29 GMT ***Remember, deals price on this item for sale just for limited time*** | |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #157281 in Sports & Outdoors
- Size: 700c
- Color: gray
- Brand: Sonoma
- Model: 8201-31
- Released on: 2009-06-19
- Dimensions: 8.30" h x 29.00" w x 58.70" l, 49.80 pounds
Features
- Chainless men's bicycle with lightweight aluminum frame and T-shock suspension fork
- D-Drive system eliminates chain and derailleur for low-maintenance, comfortable riding
- Chainless system is quieter, smoother, and lasts longer than traditional chain-driven systems
- Cushioned satin saddle ideal for long rides; front and rear alloy V-brakes
- High-density dual rubber handgrips; lifetime warranty on frame, fork, and D-Drive system
Amazon.com
Getting around town just got a lot cooler with the Sonoma Urban Commuter chainless men's bicycle. The bike packs a variety of commute-friendly features into its sleek, sporty body, including a lightweight, durable aluminum frame that's easy to handle and transport, a sophisticated T-shock fork that absorbs bumps, a cushioned satin seat and ergonomically designed handlebars to ensure a comfortable ride, and high-density dual rubber handgrips that are smooth to the touch.
 The bike's chainless D-Drive system eliminates the trouble-causing chain and derailleur. |
It's the low-maintenance chainless design that really stands out, however. Powering the newest trend in chainless bicycling, the chainless D-Drive system replaces the parts of a bike that cause the most problems--the chain and derailleur. In their place, the D-Drive system uses a drive shaft with a fully enclosed bevel gear system to transmit power from the bike pedals to the rear wheel. Shimano internal gears within the rear wheel help the system run smoothly and quietly while optimizing pedal efficiency. At the same time, the Shimano "twist and go" gear system is responsive and easy to use, so you can shift with the flick of a finger.
The chainless D-Drive system offers a number of benefits over traditional chain bikes. In addition to delivering a much quieter ride, it keeps you from ruining your favorite clothes while riding to work or getting grease all over your hands while fixing a slipped chain. The D-Drive system is also protected from external elements, so it doesn't require the ongoing cleaning, lubrication, and checkups that a chain-drive bike typically requires. And the internal drive shaft is less likely to sustain damage from falls and road debris, giving it a significantly longer life than a chain. In fact, the D-Drive system carries a warranty that lasts for the life of your bike. Once you experience Sonoma's exclusive D-Drive chainless system, you may never want to ride a chain-driven bicycle again.
Other features include a handy carrying rack for running errands, 700c Kenda commuting tires, front and rear alloy V-brakes, and plastic platform pedals. Best of all, everything on the bike is backed by either a two-year or lifetime warranty. A smart choice whether you're rushing to the office or taking a relaxing weekend spin, the Urban Commuter comes in a smoky obsidian color.
 The SL-3S35 shifters are conveniently located and responsive.  The bike includes 700c Kenda commuting tires and double-wall alloy rims. |
- Color: Smoky obsidian
- Frame: Lightweight 6000 series aluminum
- Fork: RST Trendy T shock fork with pre-load
- Saddle: Custom cushioned satin seat
- Operating system: D-Drive chainless
- Grips: High-density dual rubber
- Rims: 700c x 38c double-wall alloy
- Brakes: Front and rear alloy V-brakes
- Hub: Shimano internal 3-speed gear hub with SL-3S35 shifter
- Pedals: Plastic platform, 9/16 inches, with CPSC reflectors
- Front hubs: MTB type alloy
- Tires: 700c Kenda commuting tires and tubes
- Stand-over height: 28-1/2 inches
- Crank: Shaft drive-type crank and sprocket, alloy crank
- Seat post: Alloy with quick-release adjustment
- Warranties: Lifetime on frame, fork, and D-Drive system, 2 years on all other components
About Dynacraft Bicycles
Dynacraft brings families together by providing affordable, high-quality bicycles for everyone in the family, no matter their age. Based in American Canyon, California, Dynacraft imports and distributes such brands as Barbie, Dekra, Hot Wheels, Magna, Malibu, Next, and Rhino. The company's recent innovations include a new state-of-the-art distribution center in Napa, California, that reduces the time it takes to get Dynacraft's bikes to customers' stores. Dynacraft also entered the adult comfort bike segment by introducing the Dekra D-Drive, a chainless three-speed bike specifically designed for pleasure riding.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful.
By Ricky D. Peters
I am very happy with this bike. It is very smooth and easy to ride. I have rode this bike as much as 20 miles in a day and I can say that the quality is great. This bike is solid, when you take it off of a curb you do not hear one rattle. I ride to work in dress pants and love the fact that I don't have to worry about a chain. The pedal area is clean and looks different so I get a lot of people stopping to ask me if it is an electric bike.
This bike is great for someone that likes to cruise around 12 to 15 mph. I can see where some avid bicyclists would not prefer this bike. The drive shaft is not as efficient as a chain and you loose the ability to go faster than 15mph. You can relate it to motorcycles. Shaft driven bikes are quiet and smooth with less maintenance, but never that fast.
There are 2 things I would change on this bike. The first thing was the seat. I know the designers of this bike must have tried to ride this bike for more than 20 minutes and realized the seat sucks. If you buy this bike, expect to purchase a seat. The second thing is the Nexus internal hub. This bike has the potential to be one of the smoothest and quietest bikes on the market. The drawback is the Nexus hub. When you are in any gear other than first, the hub has a constant ticking sound. It does not bother my friends that tested it. My recommendation is for Sonoma to look into the NuVinci® Smooth Cruise CVP(tm). The price would go up a little, but this would be smoothest and quietest set up possible.
Update: I overtorqued a bolt and stripped a piece on the Shimano Nexus shifter. I called customer service and they did not hesitate to ship me a new one even though it may have been my fault. I think they have the best customer service of any company I have dealt with.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
By johnnycab
I am not a bicycle person and haven't owned one in many years. However since I live next to an extensive paved river-trail, I thought it was time to give myself another fitness/transport option.
I had horrible memories of alternately greasy/squeaky/rusty chains and clunking derailleurs; surely there was something simpler? In googling I found this - a bike with a drive shaft.
One of the reviewers mentioned this bike taking *3 hours* to assemble...perhaps theirs came more disassembled than mine. Despite knowing nothing about bikes and not being particularly mechanically inclined, I had mine out of the box and ready to ride in about 20 minutes. All I had to do was put on the front wheel, handlebars, seat, and pedals using the enclosed tools; everything else was fully assembled.
I find the 3 gears perfectly adequate for my uses. Gears 2 and 3 do produce a slight clicking sound while engaged, but the sound is quite a bit less than most squeaky-chain bikes.
Overall I'm very satisfied and would recommend this to anyone in the market for a basic bike with 3 gears and no hassles.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
By willow
I just put 100 miles on this bike and have enjoyed it. I regularly commute by bicycle to work (4.5 miles one way). So I have only had the bike a couple months. I like not having to worry about my pant leg getting greasy. Since I pedal to work for exercise and not for the sport of cycling, the fewer gears and other things that could be considered downsides to this bike haven't been missed. It's reliable, cleaner, and I expect will be easier to maintain through the years and last longer despite Tennessee rain. At work I don't have an indoor place to park and it has already seen 1 or 2 rainstorms. After biking home on a wet day, I wipe it all down with a towel and don't feel bad washing the towel with other things because it doesn't get greasy. So far it's been exactly what I hoped for. Now only time will tell if it will exceed my expectations in regards to maintenance and lifespan.
\\//Update 2012-12-14\\//
After 200+ miles the left crank arm started loosening. I now carry the necessary Allen wrench with me so that I can tighten it whenever I notice it. I fixed the problem for about 3 months of riding (~75 miles) by removing the bolt, cleaning it with a wire brush to remove the Threadlocker Blue that had been used during assembly, and then applying Permatex Threadlocker Red (super-strength, available at auto part stores). Today I called Dynacraft's customer service and they were fantastic! After giving them the model #, production date, and serial # (which are found on the bike), they readily agreed to send me a new bolt and new crank arm. Hopefully, this will solve the problem. I suspect that the current crank arm got deformed a bit making it more prone to loosening even though it feels solid when tightened. I had wondered if reverse-threading that bolt that holds the crank arm onto the bottom bracket would solve the problem, but it seems that right-hand threading (regular threading) on the left side is the norm (see "Precision (mechanical)" or "Bottom Bracket" on wikipedia). In any case, today's reapplication of Threadlocker to the bolt should hold it until the new parts arrive, but I'll be carrying the Allen wrench when I go biking just in case.
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