I wanted a bike with hub gear, with its advantages of low maintenance, static change of gear and avoidance of trouser damage! So I bought the 7 speed version. An additional advantage with the shimano gear is back-pedal braking, giving extra stopping power. I grew up partly in Denmark, so I'm familiar with this feature. The bike handles well and gear change is seamless.
I love my purchase, minimalist styling with gears. Exactly what i wanted. & btw my name's Jonathan!
It took me a few outings to stop myself from pedalling backwards to reset my pedal position when free-wheeling or stopped at a light, as this stops the wheels and acts as a brake. As well as getting used to the way it rides compared to my old Carerra hybrid bike, but it was well worth the adjustment as my new Quella is lighter, faster and will be far easier to maintain and replace the various few moving parts if/when needed.
Would highly recommend.
Oh, and ths customer service has been great.
I looked long and hard before choosing my Quella. In fact, there is nothing else on the market quite like this hub-geared version of the Varsity. While the overall design and finish are first-class, I am replacing one or two components - pedals, saddle, for instance - as I feel they are slightly below par. And the gear change cable is secured to the tube by plastic ties, which seems quite wrong - so I am looking into sourcing some proper clips for that. But overall, I am very pleased. I have thoroughly enjoyed riding it so far... apart from one episode when the handlebar was slipping on the A post. Slightly alarming, and could have caused a nasty crash. It's definitely worth checking that all bolts are properly tight! I suppose the only real disappointment was seeing 'Made in China' on the box when it was delivered - I had assumed they were made in England (naive, I know).
I love my new bike. I was heartbroken when my Brompton was stolen, but now I am happy again.
