Americano Three
The Americano line from Scattante (the house brand of mega retailer Performance Bike) is made up of five steel-framed singlespeed road bikes, differentiated mainly by paint and cockpit configuration. Because a flat handlebar seemed like the most practical option, we went with the Americano Three--the others in the line come with cow-horn, riser or track bars.
Once we made changes to address some of our preferences, we could enjoy the Americano's familiar feel. With geometry similar to that of a modern road bike, narrow tires and a minimalist saddle, the bike is essentially a steel-framed, flat-barred, one-speed version of a good road bike that's well suited to cruising around town. The steel frame and fork have a glassy ride, and you can't beat a singlespeed drivetrain for a smooth, efficient feel. The hum of the tires was only occasionally disrupted by the clunk of a stubborn headset that was too loose or too tight, but never just right.
The stock 46/16 gearing led us to imagine three scenarios: All the roads around Performance's headquarters are slightly downhill in both directions, its product managers are all high-level track racers, or perhaps we're babies. Maybe all three are true. In the right conditions, we could get on the gear and just fly. But more often we found the combination too tall for comfort during our typical outing--riding with a bag filled with a day's work and jousting with cars in urban environments. If we wanted to suffer even more, we could have made use of the fixed-gear option on the other side of the flip-flop rear hub. Thankfully, singlespeed chainrings and freewheels can be picked up on the cheap and swapped easily, so the tough-guy gearing wasn't a deal breaker.
The stock bar was both too narrow and too aggressively swept for our liking. The fix was an old mountain bike flat bar that was gathering dust in the workshop. While we were under the hood, we pumped some Slime into the tubes to make a flat less likely and installed a bell, kickstand and blinker lights to make the Three safer and more practical. Though the Three's flat aluminum fenders look quite elegant and block most spray, they don't deflect as much as a traditional cupped fender.
The suggested retail of the Three is $600, but like many Performance products, it's perpetually on sale for much less, usually around $349. For reference, that is less expensive than the handlebar found on a Cervelo R5 (page 90).
Five things to expect from a bike like this:
Lower-end parts (hubs, headset) that may require more frequent service or replacement
An inexpensive steel frame that makes for a heavy bike
Basic cockpit components
Less-precise fit and finish
Classic, retro-tastic styling
Three things to look for in a bike like this:
Rack and fender mounts
A low bottom bracket that makes putting your foot down at stoplights easy but lets you stay seated
Lights, reflectors and reflective surfaces for visibility
Buy it if: You're a flatlander looking for simple, inexpensive transportation
Forget it if: There are lots of steep hills on your daily commute
