We got our hands on the Crew Defender, one of the only complete FGFS-esque bikes on the market right now thanks to the kind people at City Grounds, so I decided to give my two cents on the bike! Hit “read more” for a more in depth analysis on the bike.

The Crew Defender is a bike that I’d recommend to people just getting into FGFS. The most important aspect of this bike is that it gets the job done.

POSITIVES:

Let’s get one thing straight though, the bike has it’s flaws. I stand by the 7/10 rating I gave in my video review. First, lets go over the positive things about this bike and how it earned 7 stars:

The bike is sturdy, I’ll give it that. The 42c tires it comes with are just big enough to protect the rims and can handle some drops.

The rims are double wall and the frame has a gusset on it. My guess is that unless you’re going ham on some stairsets, this will likely do the job.

The half link chain it comes with is a nice touch. I don’t see that coming on too many complete fixed gear bikes in general, so you can get some crispier chain alignment and slam that wheel in the dropout.

Overall, the geometry isn’t too bad. It’s definitely comfortable to ride and does the job for tricks.

The price is incredible. $400 plus free shipping is an absolute steal for what you get here. Easily the biggest W on this bike!

NEGATIVES:

Now let’s go over where this bike can improve to earn those missing 3 stars and get this to a 10/10:

For starters, the bike is trying to be too many things. This is a good thing for the average buyer. You can turn this into a commuter, a wheelie bike, an FGFS build, and many things in between. My biggest gripe is that it does all of these things okay, but not one of them super well. I guess that’s the point of the bike though.

This is 100% a bike that you’ll buy complete, then switch parts on over time. That’s natural for any complete bike you buy. Which parts would I recommend switching over time?

• Stronger / wider rims
• Taller handlebars
• Crank / sprocket to a splined drive setup
• Cog, cause the ratio comes way too light stock

The geometry of the bike is overall okay, as I said before. If the frame had a shorter rear end and lower BB, it would feel even better.

Overall, its a great option for a beginner, not recommended for a seasoned veteran. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Pick one up on the City Grounds webstore here!