What, you thought Firefly Bicycles specialized only in exquisitely-made high-end road bikes? Au contraire, the Boston-based builders can apply their style to most genres, as demonstrated by this exquisitely-made high-end super commuter.
Examining the work of specialist titanium welders is oddly satisfying, perfectly executed ‘stacks o’ dimes’, joining tubes of precious titanium, and there are few consistently more impressive than that of Tyler Evans and the other members of the Firefly Bicycles team.
‘Hybrids’ usually tend to be on the grotesque end of the aesthetic spectrum, for all their functionality, but combine that usability with the quality of a Firefly and you end up with something truly wonderful — and a kickstand.
The customer wanted to replace their heavy hybrid that was regularly used for a 6-7 mile commute and some frequent dirt path riding around the North Shore region of Boston, and the geometry was tweaked to cater for longer and hillier rides in the northwest.
With tire clearances up to 38mm, big gears, rear rack, generator lights, and riser bars, the new Firefly super commuter ticks all the boxes. Where are the fenders? It’s not going to be ridden in the rain… yet. And it’ll be lighter and easier to transport without them.
If you thought the tubing on a Firefly was looking a little, well, oversized these days, you’d be correct. The current trend towards bigger tires allow for a fatter tube without compromising the ride ‘feel’.
The Boston team also custom butt all of their tubes in-house these days, reducing weight and adding a level of vibration dampening to frames even with larger diameter tubing. Their welding is still impeccable, though.