The Ikea Bike (the “Sladda”) is an interesting proposition. It’s a relatively cheap, low maintenance bike with some fancypants pluses (e.g. belt drive, disc brakes, and a modular ecosystem so you can get panniers and a trailer for your new bike). This is the first time I’ve actually heard of anyone’s hands-on experiences with one. And I was totally sold until this line:

What isn’t easy to modulate are the gears on the Sladda. It only has two gears, and you can’t even choose which one you’re in. It runs on automatic transmission, meaning it adjusts between harder or softer gears based on your pedaling.

Dublin isn’t even a particularly hilly city, but the idea of not being in control of your gears sounds insane to me.