If this bike looks like it lacks instant sex-appeal, it's on purpose: Specialized says it stayed away from bright paint on the brand-new Centrum because urban riders told the company they wanted a bike clad in colors that wouldn't catch the attention of bicycle theives.
But the bike isn't altogether lacking in charisma; the swoopy, box-shaped, hydroformed top tube is still kinda sexy.
The Big Red S says it really tried to tune in on the younger urban rider with this bike, and packed it with useful stuff like disc brakes, a simple three-speed internal hub, a frame designed to easily accomodate a single-speed or fixed-gear hub without a chain tensioner and front and rear fender eyelets.
finishing off the specs are 26-inch wheels and a low standover height, which according to one of the Specialized product guys "is really nice for people getting on or off the bike with a cup of coffee." Yup, definitely aimed at the hipster crowd.
This Centrum is the mid-level IG3, priced at $770.
Oddly though, Specialized's hot new Langsters were nowehere to be seen.
