The Brooklyn Bicycle Company is located in, you guessed it, Brooklyn, New York. While the borough may be better known for hipsters, a vibrant art and music scene, and sky-high real estate prices, the bike brand is known for its affordable lineup of urban-oriented bikes. From city bikes and fixies to commuters and cruisers, the entire lineup boasts classic styling and reasonable prices. In stark contrast to the $30K Parlee Z-Zero we reported on last week, Brooklyn’s eight model range of bikes starts at $549 for the Whythe Fixie and tops out at $1,200 for the Driggs 8i Disc.
With a low-maintenance 8-speed internal hub and hydraulic disc brakes, the Driggs 8i Disc is one of the fancier models in Brooklyn’s lineup. It’s also the most expensive, but at $1,200 (currently on sale for $1,100), it’s still relatively affordable. And with a classic frame design, full coverage finders, gloss green paint, silver components, and tan wall tires, its vintage, “Dutch-style” looks are equally at home on the streets of Amsterdam or Brooklyn, New York.
I’ve been cruising around on the Driggs 8i Disc for the past couple of months. I’ve been taking it out for neighborhood rips, grocery runs, meeting up with friends, and even a few longer pedals (for a city bike) in the fifteen-mile range. While it is obviously quite simple, I’ve been impressed by its performance on the streets and hills in and around my home in Reno, Nevada. The best part? In my opinion, this bike just looks fantastic.
- Bike type: City, commuter
- Frame material: 6061 Aluminum
- Drivetrain: Shimano Nexus 8-speed internal hub
- Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc
- Wheel x tire size: 700 x 38c
- Sizes: M, L
Pros
- Affordable
- Great vintage style
- Low maintenance
- Reasonable weight
- Assembly included
Cons
- Rigid frame + narrow-ish tires = not the most forgiving
- Only comes in one color
Frame Details
The Driggs 8i has a traditional frame design that looks like it could have been produced in the ‘50s or ’60s. Unlike the bikes of yesteryear, the Driggs frame is made from lightweight and slim aluminum tubing with nice, smooth welds all around. The 6061 aluminum frame helps keep the weight of the bike down, and while it isn’t the lightest bike in the world, it’s pretty respectable at 31.5 pounds on my scale in size large. It certainly doesn’t feel heavy when riding, and it’s easy to pick up when negotiating my over-crowded garage or to carry up a flight of stairs.
The Driggs has a step-over frame design with a large, open front triangle and internal cable routing for tidy looks. There are bosses on the down tube and seat tube to mount bottle cages or other accessories, along with mounts for fenders (included) and a rear rack. The open frame has ample room to fit a top tube or frame bag if you’re in need of on-bike storage. Up front, the rigid steel fork also has rack mounts. It doesn’t come with any racks, but adding a rear rack and some panniers would be an easy way to add some carrying capacity.
Fit and Comfort
The Driggs comes in medium and large frame sizes, claiming to fit riders between 5’6” and 6’4”. I’m 6’0” with a 35” inseam, and the large frame is a great fit for me. Shorter riders or those who prefer a step-through frame might want to check out the Willow 7i Disc, which has a much lower step-over and standover height but one less gear.
The seated pedaling position is fairly upright and casual with Brooklyn’s “Custom Upright relaxed alloy handlebars”. These bars have a bit of rise and plenty of backsweep, but they aren’t a full-on mustache handlebar. The vegan leather touring saddle is a nice middle ground between performance and comfort saddles, which I’ve found to be a good match for riding a bike like the Driggs. The saddle is color matched with the vegan leather “comfort” grips, which are, in fact, quite comfortable.
Components
The Driggs appears to be a relatively simple city bike, and if you didn’t look closely enough, you could easily confuse it for a single-speed. Instead or a derailleur drivetrain, Brooklyn went with a Shimano Nexus 8-speed internally geared hub controlled by a Shimano Alfine 8-Speed trigger shifter. This drivetrain setup simplifies things by removing the cassette and derailleur from the equation, with fewer parts to damage and maintain. Of course, you’ll still need to lube the chain every so often, but that’s about it.
Unlike many affordable city/commuter bikes that come with mechanical disc or rim brakes, the Driggs 8i comes with a set of powerful Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. These brakes provide more than enough power for controlling the speeds I’ve been carrying on this bike. It comes with 700 x 38c puncture-resistant tires with a fast-rolling tread as well as durable (and matching silver) aluminum platform pedals
Aesthetics
As mentioned, the classic style of the Driggs is one of my favorite things about it. The frame, fork, fenders, and chainguard are all painted the same gloss army green that just looks great. The small Brooklyn Bike Co. logo on the top tube is subtle, and the head badge adds a touch of class. The grips and saddle are made from the same light brown vegan leather that nearly matches the tan walls of the tires. All of the other components are silver, which goes very well with the frame color and ties the whole look together.
If I had to find something to complain about, I guess it’s that the Driggs only comes in one color. While I think the gloss army green looks awesome, another option or two probably wouldn’t hurt.
The Ride
The Driggs 8i handles exactly how I expect a bike of this style to handle. It’s smooth, comfortable, easy-going, and predictable. No real surprises here. Whether darting around with traffic downtown or doing some laid-back cruising, it has been intuitive and easy to ride. At low speeds, high speeds, and turns of all shapes and sizes, it’s been stable and composed.
And, while it is a “Dutch-style” bike that’s geared more toward casual urban riding, it rolls fast and covers ground surprisingly quickly when you need to get somewhere in a hurry. It’s no race bike, obviously, but it feels pretty efficient when you’re on the gas. I’ve spent some time mashing the hills from downtown back up to my house and don’t have any complaints.
The Driggs is a rigid-framed bike, so it can feel a bit harsh when riding over rough surfaces. It’s obviously best suited to firm, smooth surfaces like paved roads and bike paths around town or across campus, but it handles your standard imperfections like small cracks or crumbling pavement well enough. But you’ll want to be on the lookout for potholes and speed bumps, and either avoid them or approach them at a reasonable speed.
The 38c tires are fast rolling and provide ample grip on concrete and pavement, but they don’t provide much in the way of cushioning. Still, they work great for riding in the places and on the surfaces this bike is intended for. Additionally, I’ll admit that I’m typically skeptical of “puncture-resistant” tires, but I’ve ridden over a bunch of broken glass in the last few weeks and haven’t gotten a flat. It doesn’t rain all that often where I live, but I always appreciate fenders on a bike like this just in case it does.
The Nexus 8-speed internal hub drivetrain has been working reliably with a gear range wide enough for my needs. Those 8-speeds provide a claimed 307% gear range, which has been plenty for spinning up the gradual hills surrounding Reno, and for pushing a bigger gear on the way down. One quirk about the Nexus shifting is that the system is sometimes reluctant to shift into lower gears under heavier load (similar to shifting with a gearbox), and you need to back off the power for a second for the gear to drop — you get used to this pretty quickly. The other quirk is that the Alfine trigger shifters are set up the opposite of mountain bike shifters. Turns out, 30+ years of muscle memory is hard to overcome, and I’ve been pushing the wrong trigger almost every time.
Ordering and Assembly
Brooklyn Bicycle Company sells direct to the consumer, and all of its bikes can be purchased through the brand’s website. Unlike the majority of consumer-direct brands, however, you don’t have to worry about finishing the assembly at home. The brand wants to make the purchase process as simple and affordable as possible, and that includes free shipping and professional assembly. When you buy a bike, Brooklyn ships it directly to a bike shop near you to complete the remaining assembly. All you have to do is pick it up, bring it home, and start riding.
While most people reading this could probably complete the remaining steps of the assembly at home, Brooklyn’s process adds some serious convenience for others. Those without the space, tools, know-how, or time will probably find the professional assembly to add to the already solid value that Brooklyn Bikes offers. On top of that, Brooklyn’s frames come with a lifetime warranty to the original owner, plus a one-year warranty on components like wheels, brakes, and drivetrains.
My Takeaway
The Brooklyn Driggs 8i Disc offers an excellent blend of vintage style, user friendliness, and affordability that make it a great option for anyone seeking a townie, commuter, or campus bike that won’t break the bank. This bike is comfortable to ride, handles predictably, is super easy to live with, and it looks freaking great. When you’re cruising to music in the park in jorts and flip-flops or commuting to the office in slacks in dress shoes, the Driggs has you covered, and it looks the business, too.
Don’t need that many gears or to spend that much? The rest of Brooklyn Bicycle Co.’s lineup costs even less and looks great, too. You can learn more about the Driggs 8i Disc and the other bikes they offer on the brand’s website.
