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Sneak Peek: Fortified Teases the Invincible, the “City-Proof” Bike

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If you’ve ever ridden in the city, or hell, even just walked in a city you’ve seen them. Missing parts, rusted out, vandalized, neglected, the mean streets are usually filled with the remains of bicycles that couldn’t handle the abuse. So what is one to do? Stop riding? Buy disposable bikes?

For Fortified co-founders Slava Menn and Tivan Amour, the answer isn’t changing how you’re riding, but what you’re riding. After interviewing numerous city commuters, the pair found that most riders weren’t actually riding city bikes. And because those bikes weren’t designed to survive life chained to a bike rack in the city, the bikes don’t last long.

Along the same lines as their Fortified bike lights, the team is turning their attention towards a complete bike. Appropriately named the Invincible, Fortified claims this bike is purpose built to survive any harsh city environment…

6061 Aluminum - Web

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Just what is a city proof bike? For starters, it includes an 6061 aluminum frame and fork. Steel typically has better ride qualities, but usually requires additional treatments to prevent rust and inevitably scratches from locking the bike to the rack will lead to rust down the line. The Invincible is also designed to be affordable so aluminum helps keep the price down. Additional weather proofing includes a zinc-coated chain for corrosion resistance in winter climates.

To make the bike as theft proof as possible, the handlebars, seat, wheels, and lights are all installed with Fortified’s proprietary anti-theft hardware.

To keep riders rolling, the bike is equipped with 700x32c puncture resistant tires for taming pot holes, curbs, and dirt trails through city parks.

Saddle Image - Web Disc Break Image - Web

Two versions of the Invincible will be offered – a single speed rim brake build, and an 8-speed Shimano Altus bike with disc brakes. Initially available through a Kickstarter that will launch soon, we’re told the most exiting features of the Fortified Invincible are soon to be revealed. Stay tuned.

fortifiedbike.com

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Gunnstein
Gunnstein
8 years ago

“700x32c (…) tires for taming pot holes, curbs, and dirt trails” – Right. Give it 50-622 and I’m listening. Cities tend to have cobbles and tramways, you know. No need to punish ourselves when cruising the city.

Also, dropouts please, no trackends. Trackends make things (a little) harder for no benefit.

Other than that, good initiative!

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

I’d wager city bikes look the way they do due to lack of care and maintenance. Not purely the environment they are in. Very few steel frames actually rust to failure, although I can see people thinking a rusty scratch is ugly.
The only thing “city” I see here is the attempt at making certain items less prone to theft. I’ll let the buyers determine if this is enough and worth the inevitable hassle compared to other methods of theft control.

RoadWarrior
RoadWarrior
8 years ago

This looks totally rad! I wish I had bought this instead of my Diamondback with Nutlocks. Does it come in different colors?

proisteve
proisteve
8 years ago

I’ve been waiting for this for a while now. Really excited to see the kickstarter go live. The lights have served me pretty well.

JamesH
JamesH
8 years ago

Will it be available in UK? Badly need this in London. I’ve had 6 wheels and 2 seats stolen in 3 years and I more flat tires than I can count. If this really works I can stop carrying around my flat kit.
Wondering also if it comes in colors. Black works for me but I bet most people will want other colors.

boom
boom
8 years ago

I can only imagine the impending lawsuits from a name like ‘Invincible”

Alex
Alex
8 years ago

Sounds pretty damn cool. Glad to see that there are companies out there asking the right questions and building products that solve actual problems.

Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
8 years ago

When you bring this bike to my shop, bring every tool you need to work on it, or i’m sending you back out the door.

Also, nice Specialized Nimbus tires.

Raf
Raf
8 years ago

Their lights are phenomenal – I can’t wait to try the bike!

Don Q
Don Q
8 years ago

This looks badass! 700x32c is perfect. @Gunnstein I rode on that size everyday of winter with record breaking snow and terrible roads. Alll city riding. No flats. You go any bigger and you sacrifice speed.

@Eric, maybe at first! No one likes change. The f*ing bike theives won’t have the tools either. I’m so f*ing pumped to not have my sh*t stolen anymore.

Kevin
Kevin
8 years ago

How about coating the frame in that stuff pickup truck beds are coated with? Line-X or whatever the factories do. Would cut down on a lot of scratches and rust from being outside and banged around bike racks with other bikes.

Maxcr
Maxcr
8 years ago

Solid parts, and I agree with Don – 700x32c is a good compromise between comfort and speed. I also like the 8-speed shimano setup, it’s a good choice for city biking. I’m not sure about aluminum, I’m a SS bike guy… But other than that it looks really good – I might get one for the gf.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

So is the fork rust-fail-metal or crack-n-fail-metal?

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

JamesH – these are Spesh Nimbus tires. You can buy them and any number of puncture resistant tires for your current bike, although I’d still carry a flat kit.

As for theft, run a cable lock thru everything you can (recommended even with this bike in high theft areas) If these are popular, there is no reason to think thieves won’t have the tools as well.

onion
onion
8 years ago

What are they planning for axle security? Looks like a standard skewer with a special bolt head — which wouldn’t last but fifteen seconds from a pair of locking pliers or channel locks. This would be a massive oversight.

Francois
Francois
8 years ago

Horizontal dropouts mean you can’t put full fenders on the back… that’s kind of a problem for a city bike.
A front basket of some sort is also an extremely nice feature (especially if it has a cup holder). Very convenient for small errands, or just bringing your lunch back to the office.

Although the “murdered out” design and the wording of the marketing means it’s probably not targeted at people who would consider buying a standard city bike…

Also, what is that braze-on on the middle of the seatstay? I hope it’s not a rack mount for a proprietary rack.

DRC
DRC
8 years ago

The bike will survive wonderfully, while someone else in the city rides it. Because it’ll get stolen just like any other bike left outside in the city.

I had two bikes stolen when I lived in DC. Both of them were locked to a pole in a bike cage in an underground garage beyond 2 fob access doors with 24/7 security. Thieves know no bounds.

JamesH
JamesH
8 years ago

JBikes – Not sure what they’re doing to keep the wheels from being stolen. Article just says “[wheels] installed with Fortified’s proprietary anti-theft hardware.” But I have their lights and I know if they have a theft-proof guarantee. I bet they’ll do something similar with the wheels.

Sully
Sully
8 years ago

That name is just going to taunt the thieves.

Also whoever mentions the world CABLE LOCK should be banned. That is not a security device, it is an oxymoron.

Burton
Burton
8 years ago

Yes, alu is not as nice as steel but it’s okay for a city bike because the rides are usually short. My own foul weather city bike is alu (the only alu bike in my stable) because I too don’t want to have to worry about rust. Kudos to Fortified.

Rocky Gardeno
Rocky Gardeno
8 years ago

No reflective decals?
Gotta say this is nothing new, PinHead security systems can be adapted to any bike-skewers, seat post and stem hardware. where are the mudguards and where does my ulock go? racks and basket compatibility? Chainstays long enough for panniers?

Gunnstein
Gunnstein
8 years ago

Don Q: “You go any bigger and you sacrifice speed.” Sure. But stay that small, and you sacrifice comfort and safety on rough city roads. The difference in speed is irrelevant to me, so I prefer an urban 29er. To each his own.

Francois: “Horizontal dropouts mean you can’t put full fenders on the back” – Sure you can, I do that on my bike. You just need fenders with adjustable struts. (Pedantic nitpick: This bike doesn’t have (rear) dropouts, it has trackends. Horizontal dropouts face forwards, allowing you to simply drop the wheel out, hence the term.)

Anyone who believes steel has a softer ride than aluminium needs to read http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

adam
adam
8 years ago

Dammit! we dont need better city bikes we need better city locks. I’m never nervous my beater bike (which is still very nice) will take too hard a beating. I AM WORRIED SH!TLESS THAT IT WILL BE STOLEN EVERY TIME I LOCK IT UP!!!!!

Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
8 years ago

I’m disappointed that the multi-speed model is not an internal geared hub, they are much more weather and damage resistant than derailleurs. Also it’s not real clear what is so special about this compared to any other mid priced hybrid with a KMC Rust Buster chain and a pin head security bolt kit?

bbb
bbb
8 years ago

DonQ:

Unless you regularily average 18-20mph or above (where aerodynamics plays a large role) you will not sacrify any speed with tyres wider than 32mm… especially on very bad surfaces in a typical urban environment.

Moar Cowbell
Moar Cowbell
8 years ago

And this is where you will see these yahoos waste the $1M they have been bragging about

Jake
Jake
8 years ago

Crap, my city bikes have been steel for 20 years. When is the disposable line hitting the streets?

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
8 years ago

Torx star security bolts are not “proprietary”. Go here if you like to get your own for your ride.

Will
Will
8 years ago

If it had a belt drive and 11spd hub with Cro-mo frame and 700x40c tyres I’d be all over it…

ginsu
ginsu
8 years ago

If you hate bike thieves, move to Eugene OR, this nice small town is literally crawling with them.

It’s funny to go down to SoCal, and nobody gives a shit about a bike, and then you come back here and every body and their mother is clocking your ride.

DGWW
DGWW
8 years ago

Ripnshread-Look closely at those heads, Torx heads have six points, those have 5. Maybe they are proprietary after all.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
8 years ago

DGWW- 5 lobes are available here. As well as a host of other shapes and sizes. As are the wrenches to work on them. I admit they may be slightly different. But why buy a whole bike for some security bolts?

Dsand
Dsand
8 years ago

Nothing says durable like a frame that will fatigue to death in a year.

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