I’m in the market for a new internal hub / belt drive commuter bike with clean lines and I stumbled across this Reddit post with a seemingly perfect title “I compared all the mission sutro-like bikes (road bike geometry, internal hub, clean lines, lightweight) I could find.” Problem was, the linked site was from 2012 and was offline. The Wayback machine pulled up the info, so I’ve cleaned it up, updated some links, and added to it below:

Mission Bicycles Sutro – $1450

The Sutro comes with integrated hidden cabling, an 8-speed alfine internal hub, and hot track bike looks. On the other hand, at 24lb and $1450-1700 as spec’d, it seems pricey and pudgy for what it is. I’m tempted to buy the frameset alone for $400 and build it up myself.

Base Urban RD 1.0 – $1400

This bike drops the integrated cabling of the Sutro, but adds a greaseless belt drive and disc brakes, as well as cool cromoly tubes. I actually thought the disc brakes were a selling point, but after test-riding a bike with them the other day, I’m not convinced they’re any better than cantilevers. $1400ish from Australia.

Schindelhauer Ludwig VIII/XI – $2000

German belt-drive fan Jörg Schindelhauer specializes in classy fixed, singlespeed, and internally geared bikes with tight welds, chrome and leather accents, internal cables, and European track lines. Expect to pay for it, though- this 8-speed, 24lb Alfine Ludwig runs around $2000, but prices range from $1750 for the fixed-gear Viktor to over $4,000 for the Rohloff-equipped Ludwig XIV.

Spot Brand Ajax / Acme – $2000

The spec list is similar to the Base Urban bike- Alfine, belt drive, and disc brakes- but adds a carbon fork, flat bars, and chainguard. The $1500 Ajax comes with 8-speed Alfine and a matte black finish; the $2100 (what a jump!) Acme has a polished silver frame and 11-speed Alfine.



New: Lekker Amsterdam Elite NuVinci – $1200

Dutch designed, Australian-made with a NuVinci N330 & Gates Belt Drive. Only three frame sizes, but still plenty appealing with a price tag under $1200.

New: Priority Continuum Onyx – $1100

New: Marin Presidio 3 – $980

New: Breezer Beltway 8 – $1099

Upcoming: Mission Bicycles Stinson Commuter

Outfitted with a Shimano Alfine 8-speed internally geared drivetrain and Gates carbon belt drive. Ships in November. Kickstarter price of $1800. Full retail of $2300.

