The Priority Continuum Onyx Is a City Bike That Doesn’t Suck

[Narrator] The holy grail of a city bike is something

that's comfy, safe to ride, and looks sharp.

That's easier said than done,

especially if you're on a budget.

Once you start adding features

to make it lighter, safer, and less fussy,

the bikes get very pricey very quickly.

Here's some good news:

I think I've found the ideal city bike,

the priority continuum onyx has

all of the features you want in an urban commuter bike,

and yet the company manages

to bring it in at just under $1000.

Yeah, that's still pretty steep,

but you get a lot for the money.

The continuum's disc breaks have more stopping power

than traditional caliper style breaks

especially if you ride in the rain.

You also get a gates carbon belt

in place of a regular chain.

A belt drive like this one is more durable

than a metal chain and less messy too.

You don't have to worry about rolling into work

with a grease splotch on the cuff of your Levi's.

But the thing that really stands out

is the hub, a NuVinci N330.

Tucked inside that metal shell

is a CVT or a continuously variable transmission.

It's a lot like the type of transmission

Subaru and Nissan put in their cars.

Now you can get one in your bike.

To shift, you just twist the grip shifter

on the handle bar and

watch the little orange guy on the display.

When he's on the flats, you're in high gear.

When he's struggling uphill, you're in low gear.

If you were to compare it to a traditional drive train,

NuVinci's N330 gives you about

the same gearing range as an eight speed bike.

These CVT hubs are starting

to show up in other city bikes

and even in the bike share fleets

in San Francisco and in New York.

So put all this together.

The disc breaks, the belt drive, and the NuVinci hub,

and normally you'd be shelling out closer to $2000,

but priority keeps these things really cheap

by sourcing inexpensive but still decent parts from Asia,

and it sells bikes directly to consumers on the web.

Since you don't go through a bike shop,

you have to put the thing together yourself,

but there are tools and instructions in the box.

It's no more difficult to wrangle

than a piece of Swedish furniture.

I assembled this bike in 30 minutes.

Priority also makes leisure models

that cost between $400 and $800,

but the continuum onyx is it's top of the line bike

and the most well suited to daily commuting.

It's nice to see quality city bikes

getting cheaper and more capable at the same time.

It means there are more bike commuters

on the roads for one.

Also it gets people thinking of cycling

not as something that you do only on weekends,

but something you can do everyday.

(lively music)