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The Achielle Craighton Opa Pure Roadster is the archetype for all city bikes, Dutch bikes included. In a world of Dutch bike facsimiles and the march towards offshore production (seen especially in Holland), the Craighton is a bike still done the old way. The quality is uncompromising: hand-drawn tubes, hand-brazed frames, rust-resistant undercoats, powder-coat finishes, hand-assembled and equipped with top drawer components. In the march towards disposability, the Craighton is still made to last a lifetime (it will likely last longer!).

The Achielle Craighton Opa is made for the cold rain off the North Sea or Lake Ontario, and it's one of the few bikes that can weather perpetual outdoor storage, even in a Northeast winter. It's equipped with Shimano's ultra-sealed and ultra-reliable Nexus 8 speed hub. Holland may be flat but this is a bike that can climb, and that's due to the wide gear range built into the Nexus 8 speed hub. Within both hubs are powerful drum brakes, also sealed from the weather, and in the front hub a dynamo to produce electricity for the German-made lighting system. The list of features is near-endless: Schwalbe's top puncture-resistant tire, the Marathon Plus; a Hebie double kickstand with a steering stabilizer, the ever-useful Dutch rear-wheel lock, a luxury Brooks B67 saddle. Yes, this is a bike that is meant to be your car.

Like all Dutch bikes, the Craighton is made for real life, whether that's an important meeting, a romantic date, a formal affair, or a slouchy trip to grab the Sunday NY Times. With the completely covered chain guard, you could wear ripped jeans or a Thom Browne suit and stay as clean as you would be taking an Uber. The Dutch bike has always been a design classic, a combination of remarkable durability coupled with an inherent beauty. Cutting through gridlock has never looked this good nor felt so comfortable.

Questions? Book a consultation with one of our City Bike experts
Hand brazed Chorus steel frame, galvanized and powder coated
Roadster frame with very upright riding position
Matching steel fenders, chain case and heavy duty rear pannier rack
Shimano 8 speed Nexus gears with twist shifter
Brooks B67 leather sprung saddle
Achielle leather grips
Van Schothorst stainless steel rims and spokes
Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture proof tires
Axa Defender wheel lock
Shimano Dynamo system with Busch & Muller Lights - Halogen front and LED rear with standlight technology
Hebie Kickstand with steering stabilizer

ACHIELLE CRAIGHTON OPA - ROADSTER
FRAME	Achielle CORUS Steel, hand-brazed, Galvanized (made in Belgium)
FORK	Achielle CORUS Steel, hand-brazed, Galvanized (made in Belgium)
HEADSET	1" Alloy
STEM	Alloy Quill 25.4mm
HANDLEBAR	Custom bent alloy
GRIPS	Achielle leather with foam undercore
SEATPOST	Alloy Micro-adjust
SEAT	Brooks B67 Honey Brown (made in England)
BRAKES	Shimano IM-45 Roller Brake
BRAKE LEVERS	Saccon (made in Italy)
SHIFTER	Shimano Nexus 8 rotary
FRONT HUB	Shimano DH-C6000 Dynamo 2.4W
REAR HUB	Shimano Nexus Internal 8 Speed
SPOKES	Oversize 13G Stainless Steel, 36 Spokes
RIMS	Van Schothorst Stainless Steel (made in Holland)
TIRES	Schwalbe Marathon Plus w/Reflective
BOTTOM BRACKET	Sealed Cartridge Bearing 68mm/105mm
CRANKS	44T x 170mm Steel
CHAIN	Galvanized Steel
COGSET	1/2" x 1/8" 21T
PEDALS	Wellgo 9/16" Alloy w/Rubber top
KICKSTAND	Hebie Double Kickstand (made in Germany)
FRONT LIGHT	B&M Lumotech Halogen (made in Germany)
REAR LIGHT	Spanninga SPX with Standlight
RACK	Lepper, EN certified (made in Holland)
EXTRAS	AXA Defender Wheel Lock (made in Germany)
FENDERS & CHAIN GUARD	Lepper Colour Matched Fenders (made in Holland) Achielle Custom Colour Matched Chain Guard

ACHIELLE CRAIGHTON OPA PURE - ROADSTER	FROM	TO
53CM	5' 4"	5' 7"
57CM	5' 8"	6' 1"
61CM	6' 1"	6' 4"
65CM	6' 4"	6' 7"

ACHIELLE COMPANY HISTORY: Achielle have been making bikes in the traditional way since 1946. Starting from humble beginnings in a family owned bicycle shop in Zwevezele to the present modern factory in Pittem, they have a long and storied past. Achielle has the advantage of being Belgian and they make bikes that bridge the lighter, speedier porteur bikes of Paris with the almost-overbuilt omafiets bikes of Amsterdam. Bikes like the Sam and Saar combine French racing bike geometry with low-maintenance Dutch parts, while bikes like the Ashington and Craighton pay homage to the Dutch bike by manufacturing them right. Perhaps the most Belgian of all bikes is the Babette and Basiel, two bikes that are light and sporty for longer rides without compromising comfort. Today, Achielle is still a small family business and they still produce their bikes in Belgium, from raw steel tubes to finished bicycles .

How is a city bike different from other types of bikes?

Behind each bike lies a designer, and within each designer lie assumptions. The assumption of most North American bike designers is that people ride bikes for recreation, which usually involves a bike path, a country road, and several hours of spare time. The bikes that result from this assumption are usually hunched-over, have exposed oily drivetrains that require tighter athletic clothes, feature anywhere from 21 to 33 speeds, and aren’t usually made to be locked up to metal poles all day, especially in foul weather. A city bike is quite the opposite. Its position is gloriously upright, the chain is totally covered, you have all the gears you’d ever need (3-speeds for flatter terrain, 7 or 8-speeds for hills), and tough frames and sealed mechanisms to battle all kinds of weather.

What’s the difference between a brand like Achielle and others you carry?

There are several key principles behind a good city bike design: outdoor storability, clothing protection, low maintenance, theft-resistance, and comfort. As a heritage European brand, Achielle embodies all of these principles to the maximum. It has chip and rust-resistant frame with low maintenance internal mechanisms. It uses a full chainguard to keep clothing clean. The wheels are bolted on to keep thieves away and the bike is gloriously upright. Other brands aren’t nearly as outdoor storable (Pure City) while others expose the oily chain to your clothing (Pelago and Pure City). Only a brand like Fahrradmanufaktur employs same principles but updates them with a lighter aluminum frame and zippier geometry.

What’s the difference between the Ashington and the Craighton?

The difference comes down to parts – and it’s a big difference! The Craighton is equipped with a wide-range 8-speed hub while the Ashington’s 3-speed is much more limited. Both bikes feature drum brakes but the Craighton’s front hub also tucks away a dynamo that powers a high-powered light-set that lets you live battery-free and keeps you safe at night. The Craighton uses the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire, the most puncture proof tire on market, the German-made Hebie double-kickstand, a rear-wheel lock (for quick in-and-outs), and the luxurious Brooks leather saddle (matched by equally luxurious leather grips)

Is a Step-thru for Women and a Roadster for Men?

Heck no! It’s the 21 ^st century and anyone can ride either a Step-thru or a Roadster. The difference between the two is not gender, but position. A Step-thru has a remarkably high head-tube that raises the handlebar so the back is straight and the hips pointed forward. A Roadster has a much shorter headtube that positions the rider over the handlebars for more control, and the hips over the cranksets for more power.

How strong are the wheels and will I get a lot of punctures?

Wheels are always the first part to break on most bikes and these wheels are strong! All the city bikes we sell feature strong double-walled rims that are internally box-sectioned to handle streetcar tracks and potholes. They all feature strong stainless-steel spokes that can never rust. Bikes like the Craighton use Marathon Plus tire that are mega Kevlar-belted tires to almost eliminate punctures in the city.

What is an internal gear hub?

In Europe a bike with an internal gear hub is what makes it a definitive city bike. Because the chain isn’t derailed up and down a set of external cogs (using a derailleur), the chain will never fall off again, and best of all, the chain can be covered so you can wear whatever you want. The gears are sealed inside the rear hub and they hold a tune two times longer than a derailleur, minimizing tune-ups and allowing you to store the bike outside throughout the winter problem-free.

What are drum or roller brakes?

Like internal gears, drum brakes are sealed into (or onto) the front or rear hubs to minimize maintenance and ensure consistent performance through all weather. They’re not quite as powerful as a disc brake but they’re comparable in performance to a quality caliper or V-brake. A roller-brake is a variety of drum brake manufactured by Shimano that threads onto the hub while most drum brakes are manufactured by Sturmey Archer and are inside the hub.

What is dynamo lighting?

Cars come with lights and so should a city bike. Dynamo lightsets are an integrated system that generates electricity from the hub and blasts this into a theft-resistant light that projects more power than most battery systems. Unlike the old days where the dynamo rubbed against the tire (slowing you down) the new systems are part of the front hub and are very low friction as well as very low maintenance. Most of the dynamo sets we carry feature a “standlight,” or capacitor which means they produce light even when you’re stopped.

What’s with that leather seat?

It’s the most comfortable thing you could ever sit on, seriously! Comfort is not based on squishy softness but instead shape. Brooks have been making saddles in the same Birmingham, UK factory since 1866 and they’re meant for a lifetime. A Brooks saddle molds to your anatomy and creates the perfect fit between rider and machine. Be careful you don’t get it wet though! (A plastic bag does the trick).

How do I ensure my new bike won’t get stolen?

Estimates are that over 90% of bicycle theft is tied to cash-for-drugs and this (unfortunately) makes every bike a target. Make sure you buy a good U-lock or a chain and your bike will be safe. You can read more about bike theft here.

What’s the warranty?

Ten year warranty for manufacturer defects on frame and fork, one year on parts. Does not include wear and tear

THINKING OF BUYING AN ACHIELLE? READ OUR BLOG POST WHY ACHIELLE?

ACHIELLE

CRAIGHTON - OPA PURE - STEEL GREY - DEPOSIT

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