Jamis announces the availability of their 2012 Commuter 4 with Fallbrook Technology’s NuVinci N360 continuously variable planetary (CVP) hub. MSRP is only $950.
I reviewed the 2008 model some time ago and liked what I saw then. Some big differences between then and now:
- Tektro “V” brakes versus the disc brakes in 2008.
- The rear rack is included on the newer bike.
- It’s a little hard to see in this photo, but there’s a chainguard over the chain.
- Jamis added a dynamo light in 2009, but this is gone again for 2012.
The notable feature for the 2012 Commuter 4 is the NuVinci hub. Instead of so many discrete gears that you clunk into with a thumb shifter, twisting the ‘inchworm’ shifter on the handlebar grip smoothly transitions you through the hub’s gear range, kind of like turning the volume knob on an old, analog radio. Previously, I’ve mostly seen NuVinci hubs on high end custom bikes. I’m a fan and I’m excited to see this hub on a relatively inexpensive commuter bike like the Jamis Commuter 4, which you can get in a standard diamond frame and a step through frame.
More on the 2012 Commuter 4 at the Jamis Bicycle website, or visit your local Jamis dealer.
This is exciting news. I love my Nuvinci hub and think it would be great on a commuter, particularly if Nuvinci can bring the weight of the hub down another half pound or more. Novara (REI’s brand) is also producing a Nuvinci commuter that was to have launched in stores this month.
Yep, the Gotham I think is available for online order from REI; it would be cool to see it in stores.
I’m seriously considering the Jamis model to replace a 5-year old Novara Transfer that keeps spitting out the bottom bracket. I won’t buy another Novara after the trouble I’ve had with that bike, but I’m never going back to a non-internal for year-round commuting in Boston either.