My first "adult" bike was an Austrian-made, 26" wheeled, Sturmey-Archer 3-Speed from Sears. It was a black with with white trim, with upright bars, fenders and a rear rack. Purchased with $50 of mowing and paper route money, I rode it almost a 1,000 miles over two summers around the 9th grade. It was followed by my first "speed" bike, but the freedom that 3-speed offered meant more to me than starting to drive the following year. 
On the surface, the Belleville is the reincarnation of the classic 3-Speed, with current technology embellishments. The fenders, upright bars, and 26" wheels are all there. The handlebars and stem are a one-piece assembly on an Aheadset style fork. The wheels are Shimano Nexus hubs with aluminum rims from Bontrager, who also supplies the natural gum tire. The front hub is also a generator, powering the internal-wired, LED head light and tail light. The Belleville has a rear rack and a front platform rack, both of tubular steel painted to match the bike. The bike reeks classic practicality, and would be at home in some worn black and white photo from the 1940's, leaned against the front of a café in a French village.
I am always a little nostalgic when I come across one at a garage sale, or leaned against the trash at the end of a drive way. The 3-Speed all but disappeared from the bike shops for much of the time since. Now they are making a come back, in a wide variety of bikes classified as Café, Urban or Stand-Over bikes. One such bike is the Trek Belleville. I recently had a chance to assemble and test ride a Trek Belleville at Bicycle Garage Indy.
On the surface, the Belleville is the reincarnation of the classic 3-Speed, with current technology embellishments. The fenders, upright bars, and 26" wheels are all there. The handlebars and stem are a one-piece assembly on an Aheadset style fork. The wheels are Shimano Nexus hubs with aluminum rims from Bontrager, who also supplies the natural gum tire. The front hub is also a generator, powering the internal-wired, LED head light and tail light. The Belleville has a rear rack and a front platform rack, both of tubular steel painted to match the bike. The bike reeks classic practicality, and would be at home in some worn black and white photo from the 1940's, leaned against the front of a café in a French village.But the practicality is only part of the story. As explained in this video from Trek, the Belleville was designed from the ground up for a minimum environmental impact, from the reliance on steel where possible for ease of recycling, the natural gum tires, to the dyno hub light system to eliminate the need for batteries. Component suppliers were selected based on their proximity to one and other to reduce transportation costs. Even the packing materials for shipping from the factory to the shop were chosen for their recycled content.
The Belleville's ride is upright and comfortable, and well suited to the 2-5 mile "errand" riding it is intended for. It would be right at home for riding the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, or for picnics on the Monon. The racks, with the right baskets or bags, will easily accommodate 3 bag of groceries, or a stack of books for the library. If you ever wanted to ride home from the market with a bottle of wine and loaf of french bread leaned over the handlebars, this is that bike. (You can test ride Trek Belleville in Indianapolis at Bicycle Garage Indy.)
Powered by Compendium Blogware
Comments for Trek Belleville First Impressions