COOLEST COMMUTER
TITAN TRANSPORTER BERLIN
R7 450 / TITANRACINGBIKES.COM
THE CORONAVIRUS AND SUBSEQUENT LOCKDOWN HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING.
Flexible working is the new normal, and when you do have to go anywhere, the roads are so much quieter. If you’re ever going to try commuting by bike, now’s the time to do it. (Just a note: when we say ‘commuting’, we don’t necessarily mean going to and from work every day; it also means riding with your son to school, or doing the odd grocery run. ‘Commuting’ is using a bike when you would previously have used a car.)
This is the second Titan Racing bike in our line-up, and that’s no accident: like the Drone Expert, it’s a leader in its class. Sadly, in South Africa, the commuter class isn’t jam-packed with options – if you’re shopping around the R7k mark, you’re generally pushed into walking away with a supermarket mountain bike.
But even though the Transporter Berlin doesn’t have much competition, it’s still an overachiever.
The alloy frame has good clearance for wide tyres (700x38 come standard), and mounts for panniers or racks. Front and rear fenders are super-useful on rainy roads, and the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes offer excellent stopping power, whether it’s wet or dry.
The Shimano Tourney 2x8 drivetrain is basic but durable, and the forgiving 46/30t chainring combo paired with an 11-34t cassette offers plenty of range, so you won’t arrive at your meeting a sweaty mess. The seat and grips are tan leather, which is a nice touch and suits the vibe of the bike, but I would have preferred something more weatherproof and hard-wearing – bear in mind that this is a bike that’s often going to be locked to poles outside coffee shops and office blocks.
A flat handlebar trumps drop bars when it comes to ease of handling, plus you can fit a handlebar bag more easily; and the trigger shifters are cheaper (and easier to maintain and to replace) than the integrated levers you’d find on a drop-bar bike. A flat bar also accommodates a child seat on the top bar better, so your toddler can join in the fun.
There’s no ‘right’ answer for choosing a commuting bike. Maybe you have an old steelframe road bike, or an unfashionable mountain bike with 26-inch wheels. Of course you can use the bike you have, if you want to.
But if you don’t want to – or you don’t have a bike – then the Transporter Berlin is well worth a look.