10 Outrageously Expensive Commuter Bikes We Want Anyway

Why buy a commuter bike that costs more than a decent used car? Why not?

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Here's what an ideal commuter bike should be: reliable, inobtrusive, comfortable. It should be a bike that can be ridden every day, regardless of weather or road surface. It should be a bike that can be locked up for hours at a time without concern. It should be relatively inexpensive and ultimately replaceable. Basically, it is none of the bikes that follow. But, man, do we want them anyway.

There is a certain type of person that can (and does) pay the price of a decent used car for a "commuter bike," and that type of person is probably one who doesn't commute. However, if your commute consists of a leisurely ride from your massive studio apartment to your equally massive design studio, perhaps these are the bikes for you. Check out 10 Outrageously Expensive Commuter Bikes We Want Anyway.

Independent Fabrications Club Racer Super Commuter

Price: $2,300 (frame and fork only)
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As one of the premier framebuilders in the country, Independent Fabrications is capable of doing nearly anything in steel or titanium (or even carbon). The Super Commuter is based on their Club Racer frameset (which starts at $2,300) and can be built in more or less any configuration. Among other things, Indy Fabs are known for their tremendous paint jobs, so locking one up for the first time will definitely hurt. (For something even more outrageous, check out the vintage motorcycle inspired singlespeed they made for the 2012 North American Handmade Bicycle Show.)

Budnitz No. 1 Scorcher

Price: $2,890
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Budnitz specializes in lovely titanium rides, equipped with titanium bars and seatposts also of their making. Disc brakes keep the lines neat, as do internally geared hubs that can provide up to 14 speeds. And thanks to belt drives, everything is silent and clean. The classic cruiser look of the No. 1 is offset by the feathery weight of a completely modern bike.

Shinola The Runwell

Price: $2,950
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The good people at Shinola pride themselves on their "Made in Detroit" ethos, and although the frames of their bikes are actually made by Wisconsin's Waterford, the bikes are built in the Motor City. The Runwell has a jewel-like precision one would expect from a company who also assembles watches, and the Waterford-built core qualifies as an heirloom piece in and of itself. It comes with all the necessary commuter accoutrements from fenders to racks—as should be expected on a $3,000 ride—and the internally geared hub keeps things simple. This is the bike to keep at the summer house.

Porsche Bike S

Price: $4,450
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Putting the Porsche name on anything inevitably causes an exponential price increase, and the "Bike S" is no different. When spending $4k-plus on a bike, one should expect more than an aluminum frame with a carbon fork, no matter what parts are hung on it—and the componentry on the S, while proven brand name stuff, isn't really anything special. Make no mistake, much of the cost is going towards the "PORSCHE" on the downtube. It'll look great on the roof of the Panamera, though.

Specialized Turbo

Price: $5,900
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We've written about the Specialized Turbo before, and for good reason. The electric-assist powertrain gives you the ability to blow by virtually anything on two wheels, and it's almost worth the purchase price just to see the look on the face of some straining would-be racer as you pass him or her riding totally upright. Think a Volvo wagon passing a Lamborghini. If it weren't for the prominent graphics (and the massive downtube, which holds the battery), the Turbo would be the ultimate sleeper. Outside of that, though, the Turbo is an impractical commuter—locking it up is risky, and at nearly 50 pounds, it isn't a bike to carry upstairs. Still, though, a lot of fun.

BME Design B-9 Nighthawk

Price: $6,600
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The BME Design B-9 Nighthawk sounds like a secret military project, and with its all-black angular carbon design, it looks like one, too. Even the saddle setup is proprietary. This is probably the bike to get if you happen to be a Scandinavian architect or New York fashion editor, or if you just need to evade radar.

Le Flâneur d'Hermès

Price: $11,300
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Surprisingly, this carbon city bike made for Hermés (by noted French framebuilder Time) isn't the most expensive bike to come from a fashion house, but it still easily surpasses the $10k mark. Like anything bearing the Hermés name, Le Flâneur d'Hermès is both elegant and understated, and finished with leather that promises to be more buttery than actual butter. If eight speeds (and ($11.3k) aren't enough, a racier 12-speed is reportedly in the works.

'Bianchi by Gucci' Carbon Urban Bike

Price: $15,400
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Back in 2011, Gucci teamed with Fiat to produce a "500 by Gucci" coupe that featured Gucci's famous green and red detailing along with their interlocking Gs on the wheels and retailed for $23,300. Which makes it somewhat surprising that the "Bianchi by Gucci" Carbon Urban Bike would retail for $15,400, especially because it doesn't seem to be a particularly revolutionary bicycle. But the sheer ostentatiousness of it makes it desirable, as does the ability to tell people your bike cost 16 grand. The matching gloves and helmet (available at extra cost) are essential.

P-G Bikes BlackBraid

Price: $20,000
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Weighing in at just 11 pounds, the P-G Bikes BlackBraid is one of the lightest bikes available, period. Which means, at $20k, it's one of the most expensive bikes per pound ever produced. The frame is actually made from braided carbon fibers, which not only makes for a distinctive look, but is lighter than other carbon applications. And hey, if it makes you feel any better, it's just $113.63 per ounce.

Sunrise Cycles Commuter