Hello everyone,
I've got a general question to ask a few of you that have probably been in the market for a new bike a lot more recently than I have.
I'm a US Peace Corps Volunteer serving as a community health educator here in Morocco (North Africa). As an active cyclist, I've recently taken the Morocco post staff to task over the quality and safety of the bicycles they provide. The "Bacini" brand bikes have had terrible failure rates including things like dramatically broken brakes and other items which I consider to be safety hazards.
After talking with them, I've been asked to help them find a more suitable replacement. The thing is, I've been happily rock-hopping with my steel-frame Trek 820 for years back home, so I'm not sure what can be found in the new market these days. I was hoping you more informed folks might be able to help me out.
Basically, I need a "fleet bike" to use car terms. It needs to be:
-As cheap as possible while still meeting the requirements below
-Simple, easy to repair, no bells and whistles (no disc brakes, etc)
-Reliable over rough terrain (no road bikes)
-18-21 speed (lots of mountains in Morocco)
-Be available in several sizes
-Long lasting
I'd do a lot more research on the subject myself, but my internet time is limited (I live in a rural berber village), and as I said, I've not purchased a new bike in forever.
If anyone has any ideas I should check out, I would very much appreciate you sharing them.
Thank you kindly,
Robert Phelan
US Peace Corps Volunteer
Tadighoust, Morocco
I've got a general question to ask a few of you that have probably been in the market for a new bike a lot more recently than I have.
I'm a US Peace Corps Volunteer serving as a community health educator here in Morocco (North Africa). As an active cyclist, I've recently taken the Morocco post staff to task over the quality and safety of the bicycles they provide. The "Bacini" brand bikes have had terrible failure rates including things like dramatically broken brakes and other items which I consider to be safety hazards.
After talking with them, I've been asked to help them find a more suitable replacement. The thing is, I've been happily rock-hopping with my steel-frame Trek 820 for years back home, so I'm not sure what can be found in the new market these days. I was hoping you more informed folks might be able to help me out.
Basically, I need a "fleet bike" to use car terms. It needs to be:
-As cheap as possible while still meeting the requirements below
-Simple, easy to repair, no bells and whistles (no disc brakes, etc)
-Reliable over rough terrain (no road bikes)
-18-21 speed (lots of mountains in Morocco)
-Be available in several sizes
-Long lasting
I'd do a lot more research on the subject myself, but my internet time is limited (I live in a rural berber village), and as I said, I've not purchased a new bike in forever.
If anyone has any ideas I should check out, I would very much appreciate you sharing them.
Thank you kindly,
Robert Phelan
US Peace Corps Volunteer
Tadighoust, Morocco
