July 7, 2010 Update: Only a few 50cm Quickbeams left. No other sizes currently available.

A little Simpleone info here.

Download the geometry information for this, and all our bikes. (Printable PDF file, 87KB)

Complete bikes only. Minus saddle, pedals, bar tape: $1600

The Quickbeam is our  silver single-speed that's actually a two-speed and is a quick change away from being a four-speed. That's because it comes with two  count 'em  chain rings (40t and 32t) and a flip-flop hub with an 18t freewheel on one side and room for another cog on the other. But there's more to it than that.

Single-speed bikes abound because they have a simplicity to them that appeals to lots of folks. But once you get over the novelty of having only one gear usually after two weeks or riding it you start to get tired of having only one gear. And then when the wet season comes, you find out there's no room for fenders. And then, when you get tired of the hard skinny tires that come with the bike, you get bummed out when you find that the biggest tire your single-speed will take is a 700x28, or maybe 32. Maybe it'll take a 28 with a fender, but with the 32, no room for a fender.

At about that point, you put the bike aside and figure you'll ride it every now and then, it wasn't a complete waste, but it's definitely a specialty bike, not at all versatile.

The QuickBeam is everything that kind of single-speed isn't. It is a truly phenomenal, versatile, go-anywhere in any weather bike, as long as you have the legs for it. And in that regard, it's twice as versatile as a normal single-speed, because it comes with two chainrings, so you get two gears. And the rear hub is threaded on both sides, so you can even turn it into a four-speed.

This isn't contrary to the "single-speed" experience, or whatever you want to call it. You still can't shift while you're riding. But let's say you want to go on a ride that starts out flattish and leads to a long climb. With other single-speeds, you're going to be frustrated, because if you pedal the hill gear on the flats, you're spinning away like a fool and going nowhere slowly; and if you pedal a more appropriate gear on the flats, you're walking the bike up the hill.

Even if you have a flip-flop hub and another cog on the other side, unless it's really close--like, maybe 4 teeth difference, maximum, the gear change isn't going to make that much difference. Plus, if you happen to have a rear brake on the bike, when you shift to a different rear cog, your brake pad won't hit the rim in the same place, and might miss it altogether.

That's because the single-speed road bike you have is designed like a track bike, with the rear dropout slot horizontal. It's wrong for a road bike, because as you move the wheel back and forth in a horizontal slot, the rim moves up and down relative to the brake pad. And one more thing almost all rear wheels on single-speed bikes have nutted axles, which means you need to bring a wrench to remove the wheel. Usually it's a 14mm or 15mm wrench, a size that doesn't work on anything else on your bike, and one you're not likely have in your take-along tool kit, unless you dedicate such a kit to this bike, which you might.

But anyway, the QuickBeam is a much, much better-designed and more versatile bike than the typical one just described. Here's a list of differences, and why they matter:

- More tire and fender clearance. You can ride a tire up to 700x40, even with a fender. So your Quickbeam is a good trail bike and a good rain bike.

- Rack mounts. It's easy to mount a rear rack. The dropouts are threaded, and the seat stays have the mounts brazed on.

- Cantilever brakes (excluding the 50cm and 52cm). More clearance than any sidepull, and easier to use with fenders.

- Two chainrings. A 40t and a 32t. The 8t difference gives you a wide range of gearing for a pedaling wide range of topography.

- Quick-release rear hub. No wrench required. With just a little practice, you'll be able to make a gear change in 25 seconds. Slow is 35s. The record is 20s.

- Angled slot on rear dropout. When you change gears, the brake pad's orientation to the rim stays the same. Smart!

- Long rear dropout slot. Long enough to take up the slack of up to 8 teeth difference. So your low and your medium gear both work fine.

- Higher handlebar position. This is related to the frame design, but in short, we've designed the frame to allow you to get the handlebar a couple of centimeters higher than the saddle. makes steep descents and long rides more secure and a lot more comfortable.

The QuickBeam Frame

Is our own design, and is made for us in Japan (not China, not Taiwan, not Vietnam) by National/Panasonic. It has our proprietary investment-cast lugs, fork crown and bottom bracket shell. The rear dropouts are also our own design, machined for us in Washington (state, not D.C.). The geometry is a moderate, all-around design, something of a "fire trail" geometry, as opposed to track geometry (too steep for road), or road geometry (too steep for trails) or mountain bike geometry (not fun on roads). The QuickBeam feels right wherever you ride it.

The QuickBeam's Parts

Nothing cheap, nothing you'll even want to upgrade. The Noodle bar, Technomic Deluxe stem, and Crystal Fellow seat post are made by Nitto (of Tokyo), the best maker in the world. The crank is a cold-forged Sugino XD2, with an integral chain-guard, so your bell-bottom pants won't get greasy, ever.

The rear hub is our exclusive, made in Japan by Suzue. It is the only hub of its type ("single-speed") that is double-threaded on both sides for single-speed freewheels, and has a quick-release. It's the neatest single-speed hub we've ever seen. The brakes are Tektro CR720 cantilevers, nothing fancy but they work fine. Rims are Mavic Open Sports 32h, with double eyelets, tires are Japanese-made Jack Brown Blue 700x33.33. The wheels are stout road, but not too heavy, and strong enough to be trouble-free on just about anything you'd ever ride on.  The two small QB's (50cm and 52cm) use 650B wheels (Velocity Synergy rims, Col de la Vie tires), and Silver sidepull brakes.

The QuickBeam is a really smart bike. We've worked out all the details. People who ride them love them. You will, too.

A Quickbeam cost $1600 minus pedals, saddles, and bar tape. We price it without those things because you may have your favorite pedals already, and if we guess on the pedals and were wrong, you'd want full retail credit for them if you had your own. Same with the saddle; and you might want a different color or kind of tape than we'd pick if we picked it (so we don't). We consider this in the price of the bike.

If you have ANY questions whatsoever, please don't hesitate to call. We love this bike and we like to talk about it.

See Also: Photos from Renaissance Bicycles and the Rivendell Bicycles group on Flickr. There are tons of photos there!


Our No Warranty Frame Warranty

It may seem odd for a company that makes such reliable frames to not have a standard instant freebie replacementwarranty, but please hear us out. While something that's defective is likely to break, it doesn't stand that anything that breaks is defective. Even superbly designed, artfully made steel bikes ridden according to plan can break. We know that, and go to great lengths to prevent that.

We're skilled, experienced non-defective designers. We use top-notch, proven, non-defective materials. Within the few but real constraints pricing imposes, we're selective about who builds our frames. After all that, our frames are tested and meet strict EN (European Nation) standards, which are tougher than the German DIN standards, and considerably tougher than the American CPSC standards. But sometimes a frame breaks, and that's no more proof of a defect than a broken window is proof of defective glass. It is impossible to tell the history of the frame. It may be impossible for even its owner to know it. Sometimes even good things break, and anybody, or any company who doesn't acknowledge that is not being honest.

All that said, broken frames are rare. Crash damage, and running into garages with bikes on the roof rack are way, way more common. Tell us your frame's story. We may fix it for nothing, but you pay the freight. Or we may charge a fee for the fix. It is at our discretion, but we're not your enemy, and you are our friend. We keep that in mind, always.

The great thing about steel frames is they can be fixed. In many cases, the fixed frame can be reinforced so that it's stronger than the original. You want a fresh start, but a fresh start with a beefed up frame can be even better. A thicker tube. An extra tube. Whatever it takes, we can do it. In almost all cases, a fixed frame needs new paint. We'll work with our local painter and get it to you at no profit. A repair may cost nothing or nine hundred dollars. It all depends.

In any case, we feel beholden to original owners only. No other warranty (or non-warranty is implied, and none should be inferred). But no matter how you came upon your frame, we are happy to advise you on how to get your frame repaired at a reasonable cost. Fair enough?